The Advocate 08-29-2025 by The Advocate

Women’sprisonopens

2016 flooddisplaced inmatestotemporary housing

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

Louisiana’sonly women’sprison formally opened Thursday,after nine years of temporary housing arrangements for over 1,000 female inmates who were displacedbya devastating 2016 ﬂood.

The brand-new, $160 million LouisianaCorrectional Institutefor Women, bordered by sugar cane fields and the nearby Elayn Hunt Correctional Center,isdesignedto withstand a500-yearﬂoodlike the historic inundation in August 2016, according to Louisiana Department of PublicSafety and Correctionsofﬁcials. It can accommodate 958 incarcerated women

Gov.Jeff Landry andWarden Kristen Thomas cut the ribbon for the new facility Thursday,emphasizing the prison as asymbolofthe modernization of the Louisiana criminal justice system.

“It marks, Ihope, the beginning of arestructuring and arebuilding of correctional facilitiesaround the state,” Landry said. “This is theﬁrst state facility to be opened in over 35 years, so that alone makes thisday very historic.”

Thomas said theprisonwill

provide women who areincarcerated opportunities for personal growth and rehabilitation.

Rep. Emerson

eyes Senate race

Carencro Republican will run if U.S. Rep. Letlow doesn’t

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

U.S. Sen.BillCassidyislikely to face another challenger in his bid to win reelectionnextyear.

State Rep. Julie Emerson said Wednesday that she is likely to jump into the race if U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow chooses not to run.

“I’m waiting to see what shewill do.I do think there’sanavenue for another candidate,whoever that is,” said Emerson, aRepublican from Carencro, just north of Lafayette. “If she formally announces she’sdeﬁnitelyout, then the chances Iget in greatlyincrease.”

Acting CDC director namedamid tumult

Threeseniorofficialsescorted from agency headquarters

BY MIKESTOBBE, AMANDASEITZ and CHRISMEGERIAN Associated Press

NEW YORK JimO’Neill, atop deputy to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will serve as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention,accordingtoan administration ofﬁcial.

The ofﬁcial requested anonymity to discuss apersonnel change that has not been formally announced.The administration wants O’Neill to replace Susan Monarez, whom the White House is trying to remove only amonth after starting the job.

Monarez is ﬁghting to keep her job. Her removal has left the nation’stop public health agency reeling andthreesenior ofﬁcials were escorted from its headquarters Thursday

The turmoil triggered rare bipartisan alarm as Kennedy tries to advance anti-vaccine policies that arecontradicted by decades of scientiﬁc research.

The chaos comes weeksbefore akey advisory committee, which Kennedy has reshapedwith vaccine skeptics, is expected to meettoissue new recommendations on immunizations.

TwoRepublican senators called forcongressional oversight and someDemocrats said Kennedy should be ﬁred. He is scheduled to testify on Capitol Hill on Thursday

ä See CDC, page 9A

‘EverythingI needed washere’

Katrina evacuees established newlives in BatonRouge

BY CHARLESLUSSIER Staff writer

When Hurricane Katrina struck, Ann Zanders had just arrived at her son’sduplex located behind the Greyhound bus station on FloridaBoulevard with clothesfor just afew days and plans to quickly headback to herUptown New Orleans home once the weather cleared.

Demonstrating hisvulnerability as heseeks a third term, Cassidy is already facing threemajor Republican challengers: Treasurer JohnFleming, state Sen. Blake Miguez of New Iberia andPublic

ä See EMERSON, page 7A Emerson

She barely knew where she was. Like many native New Orleanians, she thought of Baton Rouge as thecountry compared to her moreurban home. During past visits, she went to just one place, the downtown ofﬁces of the state Department of Education. “BatonRouge wasveryforeign to me,”she said.

Twenty years later,she is still here, one of thousands whomoved to the Capital Region after the

ä See PRISON, page 9A

Warden Kristen Thomas and Gov. Jeff Landrytakequestions during Thursday’sribbon cutting for the newprison.

STAFF PHOTOSByJAVIERGALLEGOS

Gov. Jeff Landryand Warden Kristen Thomas, center, are joined by staff, partners and lawmakersfor theribbon cutting for the newLouisiana Correctional Institute for Women on Thursday.

STAFF PHOTO By JOHN BALLANCE Stephanie Debarbieris talks abouta picture taken after she finally maked it home after being stranded at the Tulane Medical Center during Katrina.

Monarez

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByBEN GRAy

Dr.Debra Houry, left,Dr. Daniel Jernigan and Dr Demetre Daskalakis gather as workers rally for departing scientificleaders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outside the CDC headquarters on ThursdayinAtlanta.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Pope seeks end to Gaza

‘collective punishment’

ROME Pope Leo XIV demanded Wednesday that Israel stop the “collective punishment” and forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza as he pleaded for an immediate and permanent ceaseﬁre in the besieged territory amid preparations by Israel for a new military offensive

Leo was interrupted twice by applause as he read aloud his latest appeal for an end to the 22-month war during his weekly general audience attended by thousands of people in the Vatican’s auditorium.

History’s ﬁrst American pope also called for the release of hostages taken by Hamas in southern Israel — 50 of them remain in Gaza — and for both sides and international powers to end the war “which has caused so much terror, destruction and death.”

“I beg for a permanent ceaseﬁre to be reached, the safe entry of humanitarian aid to be facilitated and humanitarian law to be fully respected,” Leo said. He cited international law requiring the obligation to protect civilians and “the prohibition of collective punishment, indiscriminate use of force and the forced displacement of the population.”

Palestinians in Gaza are bracing for an expanded offensive promised by Israel in some of the territory’s most populated areas including Gaza City where famine has been documented and declared.

Rwanda: 7 deportees arrived from U.S. in Aug.

KIGALI, Rwanda Seven migrants were transferred from the United States to Rwanda in August under a deportation agreement with the U.S., authorities in the East African country said

Thursday Rwanda said earlier in August it would accept up to 250 deportees from the U.S. Yolande Makolo, a spokeswoman for the Rwandan government, said in a statement that the “ﬁrst group of seven vetted migrants arrived in Rwanda in mid-August.”

Rwanda is one of four African countries that have reached deportation agreements with Washington, The others are Uganda, Eswatini and South Sudan No information was provided about the identities of the deportees sent to Rwanda this month.

They have been “accommodated by an international organization” with visits by the International Organization for Migration, as well as representatives of Rwandan social services, Makolo said.

“Three of the individuals have expressed a desire to return to their home countries, while four wish to stay and build lives in Rwanda,” Makolo said.

Atlanta newspaper to go all-digital

ATLANTA The Atlanta JournalConstitution will stop providing a print edition at year’s end and go completely digital, a dramatic change for a storied newspaper founded shortly after the Civil War.

The decision will make Atlanta the largest U.S. metro area without a printed daily newspaper, although some smaller metro Atlanta newspapers continue printing.

Publisher Andrew Morse said in his Thursday announcement that the news organization will aim to expand its audience as it continues to report the news using online, audio and video products.

“The fact is, many more people engage with our digital platforms and products today than with our print edition, and that shift is only accelerating,” Morse wrote in a letter to subscribers posted on the Journal-Constitution’s website. The AJC has about 115,000 total subscribers, of whom 75,000 are online only; Morse has set a goal of gaining 500,000 online subscribers. The newspaper is privately owned by descendants of the Cox family Former Ohio Gov James Cox bought The Atlanta Journal in 1939 and The Atlanta Constitution in 1950. The Atlanta Constitution was founded in 1868, only a few years after the Civil War left Atlanta in ruins.

MINNEAPOLIS

Church shooter filled with hatred, police say

Authorities say

attacker

‘obsessed’ with idea of killing children

BY STEVE KARNOWSKI, MARK VANCLEAVE and CLAUDIA LAUER Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS

The shooter who killed two Catholic school students and wounded more than a dozen youngsters sitting in the pews of a Minneapolis church once attended the same school and was “obsessed” with the idea of killing children, authorities said Thursday

The shooter identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, fired 116 rifle casings through stained-glass windows while the children celebrated Mass during the ﬁrst week of classes at the Annunciation Catholic School, said Minneapolis police Chief Brian O’Hara.

“It is very clear that this shooter had the intention to terrorize those innocent children,” O’Hara said.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said videos and writings the shooter left behind show that the shooter “expressed hate towards almost every group imaginable.”

The only group Westman did not hate was “mass murderers,” Thompson said “In short, the shooter appeared to hate all of us.”

Investigators recovered hundreds of pieces of evidence from the church and three residences, the police chief said. They found more writings from the suspect, but no additional ﬁrearms or a clear motive for the attack on the church the shooter once attended. Westman had a “deranged fascination” with mass killings, O’Hara said.

“No evidence will ever be able to make sense of such an unthinkable tragedy,” he said.

Surveillance video captured the attack and showed the shooter never entered the church and could not see the children while firing through windows lined up with the pews, the police chief said.

Family members described one of the victims, 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, as a boy who loved his family, ﬁshing, cooking, and any sport he was allowed to play

“We will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming,” his father, Jesse said while tearfully reading a statement outside the church on Thursday

The parents of the other victim, 10-yearold Harper Moyski, said in a statement that she was a bright and joyful child.

“Our hearts are broken not only as parents, but also for Harper’s sister who adored her big sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss,” said Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin. “As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain.”

They said they hope her memory helps drive leaders “to take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country.”

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s ofﬁce said they both died of gunshot wounds.

City ofﬁcials on Thursday increased to 15 the number of injured children, who are ages 6 to 15. Three parishioners in their 80s also were injured. Only one person — a child — was in critical condition.

Westman, whose mother worked for the parish before retiring in 2021, left behind several videos and page upon page of writings describing a litany of grievances

One read: “I know this is wrong, but I can’t seem to stop myself.”

O’Hara said Westman was armed with a riﬂe, shotgun and pistol, and died by suicide.

On a YouTube channel, videos that police say may have been posted by the shooter show weapons and ammunition, and list the names of mass shooters. What appears to be a suicide note to family contains a confession of long-held plans to carry out a shooting and talk of being deeply depressed.

Rev Dennis Zehren, who was inside the church with the nearly 200 children, said the responsorial psalm — which spoke of light in the darkness — had almost ended when he heard someone yell, “Down down, everybody down,” and gunshots rang out.

Fifth-grader Weston Halsne said he ducked for the pews, covering his head, shielded by a friend who was on top of him. His friend was hit, he said.

“I was super scared for him, but I think now he’s OK,” the 10-year-old said.

FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the attack was an act of domestic terrorism motivated by hate-ﬁlled ideology, citing the shooter’s statements against multiple religions and calls for violence against President Donald Trump.

Minnesota Gov Tim Walz on Thursday sent state law enforcement ofﬁcers to schools and churches in Minneapolis, saying no child should go to school worried about losing a classmate or gunshots erupting during prayer

New trial ordered for 3 ex-officers convicted in Tyre Nichols killing

By The Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A judge ordered a new trial Thursday for three former Memphis police ofﬁcers who were convicted of federal charges in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, after defense lawyers argued that another judge who presided over their trial was biased against the men

U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman

issued the order for a new trial for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who were found guilty in October 2024 of obstruction of justice through witness tampering in the beating death of Nichols after he ﬂed a trafﬁc stop.

Two other ofﬁcers, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., also were charged, but they pleaded guilty before the federal trial.

Lipman took over the case in June af-

ter U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris, who presided over the case and the trial, recused himself days before the sentencings for the ﬁve ofﬁcers.

On Jan. 7, 2023, officers yanked Nichols from his car and then pepper-sprayed and hit the 29-year-old Black man with a Taser Nichols fled, and when the five officers, who also are Black, caught up with him, they punched, kicked and hit him with a police baton. Nichols called out for his mother during the beating, which took place steps from his home.

He died three days later

Video of the beating captured by a police pole camera also showed the ofﬁcers milling about, talking and laughing as Nichols struggled with his injuries.

It prompted intense scrutiny of police in Memphis, nationwide protests and renewed calls for police reform.

Norris was conﬁrmed as a U.S. district judge in West Tennessee in October 2018 after being nominated by President Donald Trump.

The Collierville Republican had served as the Tennessee Senate majority leader since 2007. He was ﬁrst elected to the body in 2000, and his district included Tipton County and part of Shelby County

Fed official sues over Trump’s attempt to ﬁre her

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook has sued the Trump administration in an effort to overturn the president’s attempt to ﬁre her, launching an unprecedented legal battle that could signiﬁcantly reshape the Fed’s long-standing political independence.

The lawsuit seeks an emergency injunction to block her ﬁring and “conﬁrm her status” as a member of the Fed’s governing board.

“The President’s effort to terminate a Senate-confirmed Federal Reserve Board member is a broadside attack on the centuryold independence of the Federal Reserve System,” Cook’s lawyer, Abbe David Lowell, wrote in a court ﬁling.

The case could become a turning point for the 112-year-old Federal Reserve, which was designed by Congress to be insulated from day-to-day political influence. Economists prefer independent central banks because they can more easily take unpopular measures, such as lifting interest rates to combat inflation, than elected officials can.

The case was assigned to Judge Jia Cobb, an appointee of former President Joe Biden. A hearing was scheduled for Friday

Many economists worry that if the Fed falls under the control of the White House, it will keep its key interest rate lower than justified by economic fundamentals to satisfy President Donald Trump’s demands for cheaper borrowing. That could accelerate inﬂation and could also push up longer-term interest rates, such as those on mortgages and car loans Investors may demand a higher yield to own bonds to offset greater inﬂation in the future, lifting borrowing costs throughout

the economy “If Cook wins, she stays in place and we achieve some semblance of stability,” said Peter Conti-Brown, a professor of financial regulation at the University of Pennsylvania and Fed historian, in a Substack post. “If she loses that’s the end of Fed independence as it has been constructed and reconstructed over 112 years.” If Trump can replace Cook, he may be able to gain a 4-3 majority on the Fed’s governing board. Trump appointed two board members during his first term and has nominated a key White House economic adviser, Stephen Miran, to replace Adriana Kugler, another Fed governor who stepped down unexpectedly Aug. 1. Trump has said he will only appoint people to the Fed who will support lower rates. No president has sought to fire a Fed governor before until Trump posted a letter on media late Monday saying that Cook was fired. Trump said the reason for her removal were allegations that she committed mortgage fraud in 2021, before she was appointed to the board. Most observers expect the case to end up at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has signaled that the president can’t fire Fed officials over policy differences, but can do so “for cause,” typically meaning misconduct or neglect of duty Cook has not been charged with any crime. The lawsuit argues that the allegations don’t involve misconduct by Cook while in office and haven’t been proven. Cook should also have been given a chance to answer the charges, the suit says. “The unsubstantiated and unproven allegation that Governor Cook ‘potentially’ erred in filling out a mortgage form prior to her Senate confirmation — does not amount to ‘cause,’” the lawsuit says.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABBIE PARR

Kristen Neville, left, and Michael Burt cry and embrace each other Thursday at the doors of the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis after Wednesday’s deadly school shooting

U.N. official:Women,childrenare ‘starving’ in Gaza

BY SAM MEDNICK and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

TEL AVIV,Israel The headof the U.N. food agency said Thursday that it was “very evident” during her visit to Gaza this week that there isn’tenough food in the Palestinian territory and that she spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the urgent need for more aid.

The world’sleading authority on food crises said last week the Gaza Strip’s largestcityisgrippedby famine, and that it was likely to spread across the territory without aceaseﬁre and an end to restrictionson humanitarian aid.

Cindy McCain, the World Food Program’sexecutive director,told The Associated Press that starvation was underway in Gaza.

“I personally met mothersand children whowere starving in Gaza,” she said. “It is real and it is happening now,” Netanyahu, she said, was “obviously very concerned that people aren’tgetting enough food.” In the past, he has deniedthat there is famine in Gazaand said the claims about starvation are apropagandacampaign launched by Hamas.

“Weagreed that we must immediately redouble our efforts to get more humani-

City

tarian aid in. Access and security for our convoysis critical,”McCain said Thefamine declaration has increased international pressure on Israel,which hasbeen fightingHamas since themilitant group’s deadly Oct.7,2023, attack Israel now says it plansto seize Gaza City and other Hamas strongholds, and there have been no public signs of progress on recent efforts for aceaseﬁre. Israel rejects the declaration —issued by theauthority on food crises known as

the Integrated Food Security Phase Classiﬁcation, or IPC —and on Wednesday asked for aformal retraction

The Israeli militaryagency in charge of transferring aidtothe territory,known as COGAT, said Thursday that morethan 300 humanitarian aid trucks enter Gaza every day,most of them carrying food.

But aidgroups say it’s notnearlyenough after 22 months of fighting, the blockadeofaid earlierthis year and the collapse of food production in Gaza. McCain

spent most of Tuesday on atourofGaza speaking to displaced families livingin tents and facing hunger

“I got to meet afamily who had comefromthe North, there were 11 of them, and they’d come from the North andtheyliterally had not hadenoughfoodatall and they stilldon’t have enough food,” she said.

McCain said her program is gettingmore foodinto Gaza,but said asurge in food supplies was needed.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said fam-

ine in Gaza is “a presentday catastrophe” and the start of expanded Israeli military operations present“anew anddangerous phase.”

He said it will have “devastating consequences” and force hundreds of thousands of traumatized and exhausted civilians to ﬂee again.

“Gaza is piled with rubble, piledwithbodies, and piled with examplesofwhatmay be serious violations of international law,” he said.

Mediators Egypt andQatar were still waiting for Israel’sresponse to a60-day ceaseﬁre proposalinGaza, which has been accepted by Hamas, Qatari foreign minister said Thursday

Theproposal,which Egyptian andQatarimediators delivered to Israel earlier this month, calls fora 60-day ceaseﬁre in exchange for the release of 10 living hostages andthe handoverofbodies of 18 dead ones, according to Arab mediators. It also calls forthe withdrawal of Israeli forces to abuffer zone on Gaza.

Also Thursday,Israeli airstrikeshit theYemeni capital, Sanaa,inresponse to attacks by the Arab country’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have launched missiles anddronestowardIsrael andtargetedships in the Red Sea forover 22 months. The Houthis say the attacks are in solidarity with Pales-

tinians.

Nearly 63,000 people have been killed in Gazasince the war began, according to the PalestinianHealth Ministry in Gaza. The agency reported that 71 people were killed by Israelistrikesover the past day, while scores more wereinjured.While theministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, it says morethan half of the dead were women and children.

The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations andindependent experts consider it the mostreliable source on warcasualties. Israel disputes its ﬁgures but has not provided its own. Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7, 2023, attackthat triggeredthe war.Most of the hostages have been released in ceaseﬁres or otherdeals.Ofthe 50 remaining in Gaza, Israel believes around 20 are alive.

The U.N. chief said Israel, as the occupying power,has obligations to protect civilians, facilitate fargreater humanitarian access and meet their essential needs. The systematic dismantling of systems that provide food water and health care, Guterres said, “are the result of deliberate decisions that defybasic humanity.”

France,Germany,U.K.initiate‘snapback’sanctions

BY FARNOUSH AMIRI,

JON GAMBRELL and STEPHANIE LIECHTENSTEIN Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS France, Germany and the United

“Thismeasure does not signal the end of diplomacy: we aredetermined to make the most of the 30-dayperiod that is now opening to engage indialoguewithIran,” French Foreign Minister

through alettertothe U.N Security Council. France and the U.K. also requestedthat the 15-member council hold closedconsultations Friday

to discuss Iran’snoncompliance, according to adiplomat whospoke on condition of anonymity to discuss stillprivateinformation.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the Europeans’ decisionand said America “remains available for direct engagement with

Iran.”“Snapback does not contradict our earnest readiness fordiplomacy; it only enhances it,” Rubio said in a statement.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

APalestinian girlwaits at acommunity kitchen before donated food is distributed on Aug. 22 in Gaza

Feds askIllinoisbasefor aidonimmigration operations

NavalStation GreatLakes locatednear Chicago

BY JOHN O’CONNOR and SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press

CHICAGO The Trump administrationasked amilitary base outside of Chicago for support on immigration operations this week, offeringaclue of whatan expanded law enforcement crackdown might look like in the nation’sthird-largest city The Department of Homeland Security asked Naval Station Great Lakes for “limited support in theform of facilities, infrastructure and other logisticalneeds to support DHS operations,” Matt Mogle, spokesperson for the base 35 miles north of Chicago, said Wednesday The request came weeks after the Republican administration deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to target crime, immigration and homelessness, and two months after it sent troops to Los Angeles

Although details of the administration’splans for Chicago are scarce, city leaders said Thursdaythatthey are preparing for multiple possible scenarios, from troops assistinginimmigration arrests to patrolling in the streets.

“Wedon’twant to raise any fears,” Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told reporters. “Wedon’twant to create any speculation around what’sgoing on.”

City leaders said Thursday that the White House hadn’t contacted them about its plans, anda spokesmanfor the Illinois National Guard said the base hadn’tre-

whims of awould-be American dictator.”

Pritzker,apotential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, hasspent days showcasing partsofthe city wherecrime has fallen and said there is no emergency in Chicago requiring military intervention. He told The Associated Pressthat thepresence of troops could worsen thesituation.

Speaking to reporters Thursday,hesuggested that it’sa political ploy,not alaw enforcement strategy, that Trumpwill pull out during next year’selections.

warzone and “hellhole.” Chicago’slong-held statusasa so-calledsanctuarycity has irked the Trumpadministration, which used Chicago to kick off anationwide crackdownonimmigration weeks after Trump’ssecond inauguration.

Pritzker and Trump, who has zeroed-in on Democratled cities, have traded barbs over the issue fordays.

“The peopleare desperate for me to STOP THE CRIME, something the Democrats aren’tcapable of doing,” Trumpposted Thursdayonhis Truth Social network.

ceived requests regarding a Chicagomobilization.

Mogle, the basespokesman, saidnodecisions had been made on the request, and that the base hadn’treceived an ofﬁcial request to supporta National Guard deployment. The Chicago Sun-Times first reported on therequest to theNavy base.

DHS didnot confirm whether it had asked to usethe base. But it said in astatement Thursday that it was workingtomake “our streets andcities safe again.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson andIllinois Gov.JBPritzker have pushed backagainst apossible mobilization, saying crimehas fallen in Chicago and that the city doesn’twant or need the military’shelp. They are planning to sue.

City leaders said workers were circulatingknow-yourrights cards in neighborhoodswithheavy immigrant populations,which offer tips on what to do in case of an encounter with an immigration agent. Other workers were checkinginonChicago’shomelessencampments and providing information

about shelters since Trump has pushed to movehomeless people far from Washington.

Snelling asked for more communication on plans involving law enforcement “Tomake sure that we’re notstoking fears through neighborhoods and we don’t have people running scared and it doesn’tcreatechaos on ourstreets, we’rewilling to have thoseconversations,”Snelling said.

Many Chicagoans are on edge about the rumoreddeployment.FormerPresident Barack Obama, who is from Chicago, weighed in Thursday, posting on X: “The erosion of basic principles like due process and the expanding use of ourmilitary on domestic soil putsthe liberties of all Americansatrisk, and should concern Democrats and Republicans alike.”

Obama’sTransportation secretary,Pete Buttigieg, a former U.S. Naval Reserve intelligence officer who trainedatGreat Lakes, said in apost of Xthat he never imagined thestation could be used “forsurveillance and enforcement activity on American soil. Ourmilitary was not set up to cater to the

Trumpfires Democratic member of SurfaceTransportationBoard

BY JOSH FUNK

AP transportation writer

President Donald Trump has ﬁred one of two Democratic members of the U.S Surface Transportation Board to break a2-2 tie before the body considers the largest railroad merger ever proposed.

Board member Robert E. Primus said on LinkedIn that he received an email from the White House Wednesday night terminating the positionhehas held since he was appointed by Trump in his first term. The vacancy would allow Trump to appoint two additional Republicans to theboard before its decision on the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger though theSenate would have to confirmthem. Primus was the onlyboard member to opposeCanadian Pacific’sacquisition of Kansas City Southern railroad when it was approved two

years ago because he was concerned itwouldhurt competition. He wasnamed Board chairman last year by former President Joe Bidenand ledthe board until Trump, after hiselection, elevated Board member Patrick Fuchs to Chairman

This follows Trump’spreviousﬁrings of boardmembers at the National Transportation SafetyBoard, Federal Reserve, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Nuclear RegulatoryCommission, which are all supposed to be independent agencies.

“Robert Primus did not align with the President’s America First agenda, and was terminated from his position by the White House,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said.“The administration intends to nominate new,more qualiﬁedmembers to theSurface TransportationBoardin short order.”

Primus said he doesn’t thinkthe firing is valid becausethe WhiteHouse didn’t offer any cause for it, andheplanstoﬁght. He also rejected their explanation forthe move because he has long tried to encourage railroads to serveeveryindustry better and help them grow,but he has already been removed from the STB website.

“I’ve been progrowth across theboard in terms of encouraging growth in the freight rail network, which in turn will grow our national economy. So if that’snot being in line withAmerica ﬁrst,then Idon’tknow what Americahe’ssaying is ﬁrst,” Primus said to The Associated Press. He said the firings at all these agencies threaten their independenceand credibility.Primus said in histenure the STBalways strove to be impartialand apolitical.

“Thisisapart of his plan to do something really nefarious, which is to interfere with elections in 2026,” Pritzker said. “He wants to have troops on the ground to stop people from voting, to intimidate people from going to the voting booth.”

Trumphas often singled out Chicago, likening it to a

In recent days, the administration has been pointing out recent shootings in the city,including at Thursday’s White House press brieﬁng when presssecretary Karoline Leavitt listed crime statistics.

“This is JB Pritzker’slegacy,bythe way,”she said.

Violent crime has dropped significantly in Chicagoin recent years, but it remains apersistent problem in parts of the city Chicago had ahomicide rate of 21.7 per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to analysis of federal data by the RochesterInstitute of Technology.Seven other major U.S. cities —St. Louis,New Orleans, Detroit, Washington, D.C.,Atlanta, Indianapolis and Richmond, Virginia —had higher rates than Chicago. Still, Chicago reported 573 homicides in 2024, the most of any U.S. city that year.At the sametime,violent crime dropped significantly in the first halfofthisyear, representing thesteepestdecline in over adecade, according to city data. In the first six months of 2025, total violent crimedropped by more than 22% compared with the first half of 2024.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By KIICHIRO SATO

Vehicles enter the main entrance for NavalStation Great Lakes on ThursdayinGreat Lakes, Ill., about 35 miles north of Chicago.

Russianattackincludesrarestrikes on center of Kyiv

BY HANNA ARHIROVA and SAMYAKULLAB Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine Russia launched amajor air attack early Thursday on Kyiv that included arare strike on the city center,killing at least 21 people, wounding 48 and damaging European Union diplomatic offices, authorities said.

The bombardment of drones and missiles was the first major Russian attack on Kyiv in weeks as U.S.led peace efforts to end the three-year war struggledto gain traction. Britain said the attack sabotaged peace efforts, whiletop EU diplomat Kaja Kallas summoned Russia’sEUenvoy to Brussels over the strikes that damaged EU ofﬁces.

Ukraine on Thursday requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the overnight bombardment, while two of Ukraine’stop envoys were set to meet Friday with the Trump administration regarding mediation.

The Kremlin said Russia remainedinterested in continuing peace talks despite Thursday’sair attack, which was one of the war’sbiggest since it began in 2022.

Among the dead were four children between 2and 17, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’scity administration. He said more people could still be under the rubble, and search and rescue efforts continuedonThursday evening.

The attack was one of the

few times Russian drones andmissiles have penetrated theheart of Kyiv since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Ukraine’sAir Force said Russia launched 598 strike drones and decoys and 31 missiles of different types across thecountry early Thursday,most of them strikingtargetsinKyiv

At least 33 locations across all10 of thecity’s districts were directly hitordamaged by debris, Tkachenko said Thousandsofwindowsshattered as nearly100 buildings were damaged,including ashopping mall in thecity center

Oleksandr Khilko arrived at thesceneafter amissile hit theresidential building where his sister lives inthe capital’sDarnytsiadistrict

He heard screamsfrom people who were trappedunderthe rubble and pulledout three survivors, including a boy.

“It’sinhuman, striking civilians,” Khilko said, his clothes covered in dust and thetips of his ﬁngers black with soot. “With every cell of my body Iwant this war to end assoon as possible. Iwait, butevery time the air raidalarm sounds, Iam afraid.”

Sophia Akylina said her home in Kyiv’sHolosiivskyi districtwas damaged.

“It’snever happenedbefore that they attacked so close,” the21-year oldsaid.

“Negotiations haven’t yielded anything yet,unfortunately people aresuffering.” European Commission

President Ursula Vonder Leyen said twostrikeslanded 20 seconds apart about 165 feet from the EU Mission to Ukraine building in Kyiv.She said no staff were injured in thestrike.

“Nodiplomatic mission shouldeverbea target.In response, we are summoning the Russian envoyinBrussels,” Kaja Kallas,the European Union’stop diplomat, said ThursdayinapostonX

The British Council, which promotes cultural relations andeducationalopportunities, alsosaid itsKyiv ofﬁce hadbeen “severely damaged”inthe attack and was closed to visitors until furthernotice.

The organization posted aphoto showing thebuildingwithits windowsand entrance smashed open and surroundedbyglass and

Sudan’sRapid SupportForcesshell Darfur city,killing 24,group says

By The Associated Press

CAIRO— Aparamilitary

group fighting against Sudan’smilitary shelled abesieged city in the western region of Darfur,killing at least 24 people, amedical group said Thursday

The Rapid Support Forces shelled the densely populated areas of the central market and Awlad al-Reef neighborhood in el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur province, according to theSudanDoctors Network, which tracks the country’scivil war.The attack wounded 55 people, including ﬁve women, it said. The city has been at the epicenter of ﬁghting for over ayear between the Sudanese militaryand the RSF.Itisthe military’slast strongholdin the Darfur region.

The RSF didn’trespond to a request forcomment Sudan plunged into acivil war in April 2023 when simmering tension betweenthe military and the RSF exploded into open ﬁghting in the capital, Khartoum,and elsewhere in thenortheastern African country Wednesday’sshelling was the latest in aseries of attacks on el-Fasher and its surroundings, including two famine-hit campsfor displaced people where RSF ﬁghters ran riot in Aprilin amajor offensivethatkilled hundreds of people In August, at least 89 civilianswere killed in RFS attacks in and around the city in aspan of 10 days, including 16 who were summarily executed,accordingtothe U.N. highcommissioner for humanrights.

The RSF besiegedand turned it into“an epicenter of child suffering, withmalnutrition,disease, and violence claiming young lives daily,” according to theUnited Nations children agency The siege left 260,000 civilians, including 130,000 children, trapped inside the city and living in “desperate conditions” after beingcut off from aid for more than 16 months, UNICEF said in astatement Wednesday. An estimated 6,000 children are sufferingfrom severe acute malnutrition and are at risk of death, it said. The conflicthas killed more than 40,000 people forced more than14million to ﬂeetheir homes and left some families eatinggrass in adesperateattempt to survive as faminesweptparts of the country

debris. Aguard was injured andis“shaken but stable,” council chief executive Scott McDonald posted on X. British Prime Minister KeirStarmer said Russian President VladimirPutin was “sabotaging” hopes of peace following the “senseless” strikes. The Russian ambassador to London was summoned to theforeign ofﬁce.

Thursday’sattack is the first major combined Russian mass drone andmissile attack to strike Kyiv since U.S. President Donald Trump met withPutin in Alaska earlier this monthtodiscuss ending the war in Ukraine.

“Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table,”Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelenskyy said in apost on Xfollowing the attack.“We expect aresponse

from everyone in the world who hascalled for peace but now more oftenstays silent rather than taking principled positions.” While adiplomatic push to end the warappeared to gain momentum shortly after that meeting, few details haveemergedabout thenext steps.

Western leaders have accusedPutin of dragging his feet in peace efforts and avoiding serious negotiations while Russiantroops move deeper into Ukraine. This week, Ukrainian military leadersconceded Russian forces have broken into an eighth region of Ukraine seeking to capture more ground.

Zelenskyy hopes for harsher U.S. sanctions to cripple theRussian economy if Putindoes notdemonstrate se-

riousness aboutending the war.Hereiterated those demands following Thursday’s attack.

Trump bristled this week at Putin’sstalling on an American proposalfor direct peace talks with Zelenskyy.Trump said Fridayheexpectsto decide on next steps in two weeks if direct talks aren’t scheduled.

German ChancellorFriedrich Merz on Thursday said that it was“clearthat ameeting between President Zelenskyy andPresident Putin will not take place.”

WhiteHouse presssecretaryKaroline Leavitt criticized both Putin and Zelenskyy after theThursdayattack on Kyiv

She said that Trump “was nothappy aboutthis news, but he wasalso not surprised” by Russia’sThursdayair assault on Ukrainian capital.

Leavitt noted that Ukraine hasalso launchedeffective assaultsonRussia’soil industry in recent weeks.

“Perhaps both sides of this warare notready to end it themselves,”Leavittsaid. “The president wants it to end, but the leaders of these twocountries …must want it to end as well.”

Russia’sDefense Ministry said it carriedout astrike against military air bases andcompanies“within Ukraine’smilitary-industrial complex” using longrange weapons, including Kinzhal missiles.

“All designated objects werehit,” the ministry said in astatement.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByEFREM LUKATSKy

aRussian attackinKyiv, Ukraine.

historic storm and never went back. Instead, they ended up making their mark on their new home up the Mississippi River.Along the way they established careers here, rising in their respective professions, becoming notable members of the community

Flood stories

StephanieDebarbieris remained in New Orleans for Katrina, working as anurse at Tulane Medical Center.As aprecaution, the staff had moved the emergency room upstairs. As the worst of the bad weather subsided, the hospital reverted to normal operations. The worst, however,was just starting.

“Weall woke up to the sounds of panic,” she said. “The water was coming in, and we moved everything back upstairs.”

Soon, staff members were moving the emergency room back up upstairs yet again to avoid the water ﬁlling up the first floor.During this stretch, abus full of medically fragile patients arrived from the Superdome.

“You just never knew what your assignment would be,” Debarbierissaid. “Minute to minute we were told what we were going to do.”

Afew days later,Debarbieris and her ER colleagues were the last to leave, ﬁrst by helicopter, then by bus. She was taken to Lafayette. There she was surprised to find her mother,who had somehow ﬁgured out where Debarbieris was.Her mother took her back to Baton Rouge to the family home that she had left years earlier for amore adventurous life in the Crescent City thinkingshe would likely never come back.

Karla Johnson’spath to the Baton Rouge area was also long and exhausting. She had ended the week at Lawrence D. Crocker Elementary in New Orleans. She did something different with her 24 fourth graders that Friday and is still not sure why: She gave them all her phone number Duringthe ensuing storm, as she was ﬂeeing herself, her phone would ring with calls from her students. She recalls one who had never been on aplane before had been airlifted out of town and was calling her from California.

Johnson herself was late to leave. Sheworked alate night shift at asecond job at agroup home. After leaving work early Sunday,she stopped by the family home in Gentilly where she lived with her mother,collecting the family photo albums as well as aclassroom pet, Jackie the rabbit. Unlike the rest of the family,her motherhad evacuated to the small town of Baker,just north of Baton Rouge. Baker was all Johnson knew about this part of the state. She would go there when her motherasked her to, but never on her own

“I always thought it was

too far,”she recalled with a laugh Johnson knew the worst happened, and that it was time to leave, when she saw agas station near her house that was ﬂooded.

“When Isaw that gas station sign covered in water, that’swhenI knew,” she said. “That’swhen Icalled my momback in Baker.”

Newopportunities

The Boudreaux family has beeninthe jewelry business in New Orleans for decades. One of eightsiblings, Donny Boudreaux had resisted joining as brothers of his had. Growing up in Mid-City in New Orleans, he wanted to go to college out of state but wastold that he was going to LSU.

“It was much easier to get intothenthanitisnow,” he recalled with alaugh.

Boudreaux said he was pulledintojewelry sales in the mid-1990s when the family opened anew store in Mandeville. He initially splithis time between Mandeville and aBoudreaux’s Jewelry store in Metairie.

When Katrina hit, Boudreaux evacuated with his wife andtwo youngchildren from their homeinMetairie.

Unlike Debarbieris, Johnson and Zanders, his house was spared.

Despite reopening the Boudreaux’sstores several weeks after the storm, the family was worried how quicklyNew Orleans would recover and how many of theircustomers wouldreturn.The family had toyed before with openingathird store in Baton Rouge. They agreed this wasthe time, and Boudreaux agreed to lead it up.

Boudreaux said he didn’t mindmoving becausehe had lived in Metairie for only three years and his two children were just starting school.

“It happened pretty quickly,”hesaid. “I knewIdidn’t want to commute. Ididn’t want to drive all the time. If I’m working, I’m living here.”

The new Baton Rouge store soon opened up on Corporate Boulevard,where it remains today.Itopened quickly,inearly December 2005, just in time for Christmas, thebusiest time of year for the business. He said the store hasbeen asuccessthrough the years, drawing on amix of previouscustomers whoalready lived in Baton Rouge,some who had moved after the storm,and others it attracted after arriving Good company

In theimmediate aftermathof Katrina, Baton Rouge balloonedinpopulation.Even ayear later,more than 21,000 people previously from theNew Orleans metro area were still living in Baton Rouge. They represented 22% of the displaced population that had not returned.

It didn’tstaythat way Accordingtoresearchby Elizabeth Fussell, aBrown University professor who tracked the population shifts using closely held government data, Houston eventually tookoverasthe

chiefresidencefor those displaced by Katrina. By 2019, about 20% of the displaced were in Houston, while about 9,000 still lived in Baton Rouge, or about 12% of those still displaced. Those who stayed in Baton Rouge andthe surrounding parishes lived during agood economic period forthe region.

For the 10-year anniversary of Katrina,the Baton Rouge Area Chamber released an analysis suggesting that, all in all, Baton Rouge beneﬁted greatly in thewake of the storm that destroyed New Orleans. The biggest positive indicators wereasteadily growing economy and faster than averageincomegrowth, especially among Black residents.

The main downside was trafﬁc.

Adam Knapp, former head of BRAC who is now CEO of Leadersfor aBetter Tomorrow, recalled that for years thequalityofeducation sparked themostcomplaints in annualopinionsurveys, but by thelate 2010s, trafﬁc took over the top spot.

The trafﬁcisindicative of the slowpace of infrastructure improvement, but also thegrowthinjobsand opportunity.

Knappnotices thechanges when he goes out to eat, noting thatthe choice of restaurants in Baton Rouge and in thesuburbs grew dramatically after Katrina, bothin number and in the diversity of options. And when you go out, he said,you areless likely to alreadyknowthe people you see.

“Pre-Katrina, it feltlike youknewalot of people when you went out socially,” he said. “It has gotten so much bigger.People who’ve lived in large areas,maybe they don’t feel that way, but (Baton Rouge) has just changed in its metro feel and its breadth of people from across the community.”

Live in thegrowing city

In her 20 years in Baton Rouge, AnnZanders shifted from elementaryto higher education,working for several years at Baton Rouge CommunityCollege. Herlastjob,from which she retired ayear ago, was working as acoordinator of career andtechnical education for theLouisiana Community and Technical College System.

Before Katrina, she worked as an arts teacher at OurLadyofLourdes Catholic School in New Orleans. But after thestorm, at a diocesan meeting in Baton Rouge, she found her school was closed and unlikely to reopen.

“After that meeting, Idecided my job now is to learn Baton Rouge,”she said. Still staying in the apart-

ment her son was renting

while attending LSU Law School, Anngot dressed every morning andwould drive thelength of one street, learning it thoroughly.Onthe day thatshe was learning about FosterDrive, she passedBRCC, where ajob fair was underway Stopping by,she hit it off witha woman who worked at the college who wanted to hire her.Thanks to astatewide hiring freeze, it took months, but Zanders was hired, working initially in grant writing.

Overtime, the Zanders family dreams of returning to New Orleans faded.Itwas partially theforbidding cost of repairing their flooded house, but also thedestructionoftheir previous way of life. The ritual of Sunday dinner at her aunt’shouse was gone. Her extended family had left New Orleans, never to return.

“Nobody was really home to make it home anymore,” she said.

On Sept. 12, Debarbieris will celebrate her 20th year anniversary of working in Baton Rouge.Soon after Katrina,she opted to ﬁnd a job and landedone immediately at desperate-for-nurses Summit Hospital, now Ochsner Medical Center off O’Neal Lane, where shestill works.

“Can’tyou start tonight?’” she remembered being asked then.

Debarbieris is no longer working directly withpatients. She works as the hospital’svice president for operations.

“There is still chaosand a lot of things coming at you at any given time,” she said DonnyBoudreaux initially bought ahouse on the southern end of Baton Rouge so he would be closer toNew Orleansincase he ended up going back alot.

“It just didn’thappen,” he said. “There was really no need forit. Everything I needed was here.”

Aftera time,herelocated the familytoa house closer to thecenter of town, closer to work and the things he enjoyed most in Baton Rouge.

He joined aRotary Club chapter andbecame active in Baton Rouge civic life He likes someofthe things he is seeing,likethe ongoing restorationofthe LSU Lakes and city planning.

“I sawitasa city that is still becoming,” Boudreaux explained. “It’sacity that doesn’thaveafull identity We canall participatein whatwill be Baton Rouge’s identity.”

Karla Johnson has had her ownprofessional rise since leaving the Crescent City Afterconcludingthather old lifewas never to return, and needing apaycheck, she started work as an instructional coach,ﬁrst in Baker, then in BatonRouge.In 2008, she ﬁnally earned her master’sdegree in educational leadership from Xavier University.Itwas tough. She said she would race to NewOrleans after school to takeclasses,sleepingat friend’shouses before getting up early to drive back to work at school.

Thedegree, however,

opened the door forher to become aschool administrator.She was principal of two schoolsbeforelanding at Capitol Elementary,where she hasservedasprincipal since 2016. She arrivedjust months before Baton Rouge’sown cataclysm,the historic floods that August. Remembering herpost-Katrina struggles, Johnson madesure Capitol Elementary wasopentostaff and families affectedbythe ﬂoods.

“I knew parents had to handle business.I knewmy colleagues had to handle business,” she said. “Can this be asafe haven forpeople?” Throughout, Johnson had held fast to her belief in the power of astrong education.

“I wantedBaton Rouge to be asafe place, aplace of prosperity,” she said. “I want the students to understand that education is important so that we can make this city one of the best cities in the country.”

State Rep. JulieEmerson, R-Carencro, is shown with Gov. Jeff Landryduring the bill signing for the tax packageatthe StateCapitol on Dec.

whereshe

Continued from page1A

Service CommissionerEric Skrmetta, who represents suburban New Orleans Cassidy faces such a tough road to reelection because he joined six Republicans and all 50 Democrats in voting to convict Trump for inciting ariot on the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Had that vote prevailed, Trump could not have run for president again. The Louisiana Republican Party immediately censured Cassidy for his vote, asymbolic move but one that reﬂected GOPanger towardLouisiana’ssenior senator Cassidy cast the vote as one of conscience after the terrible events on Jan. 6, wherefivepoliceofficers died trying the protect the Capitol, and Trump supporters ransacked the building, endangering then-Vice President Mike Pence and other lawmakers.

Letlow remains the biggest wild card in the Senate race. She was first elected to the U.S. House in aspecial election in 2021 to ﬁll aseat opened by the death of her husband, Luke, from COVID. She had been asenior administratoratthe University of Louisianaat Monroe.

Nowthe biggestquestion in Louisiana politics is whether Letlow will seek a third full term in the House, give up that seatand challenge Cassidy or apply to be the next president of LSU or the UniversityofLouisiana at Lafayette.

Letlow recently moved from rural Richland Parish to Baton Rouge with her two young children.

Asked about her plans Tuesday,Letlow said, “I am again humbled by the outpouring of encouragement and support, and IamdoingwhatIdobest andthat is praying on everything, so I’ll leave it at that.” Emerson saidthat she, too, is getting widespread encouragement to get into the Senate race.

“Wehave alot of issues

wrongwith Louisiana and the UnitedStates,” Emerson said. “Sometimes those choices are hard buthave to be made.Iknow how to work with any of my colleagues,and Ihavea strong conservative voting record.”

Emerson noted that she and Letlow are close political allies and have discussed their possible candidacies. Emersonsaidshe doesn’tknowwhatLetlow will decide.

Gov.Jeff Landry has privately encouragedLetlow to challenge Cassidy,sources say On Tuesday,asked for his thinking on the Senate race, Landrysaid, “Sen.Cassidy has to go outand make the case for reelection.Those that believetheycan do a better jobwill signup. The president is ultimately going to be the biggest factor in this,not the governor Thepresident seems to have the biggest footprint in these federal races.”

Qualifying forthe Senate race —and all congressional races —is in mid-January.The party primaries are inApril, and if no candidate wins at least 50% in the primary,arunoff of the top two candidates willbe heldamonthlater,followed by the general electionin November Political insidersquestion whether Trumpwill endorse achallengerto Cassidy before January, since that move wouldimmediately turn Cassidy into apolitical enemy—a risky move where Republicans hold onlya 53-47 margin in the Senate Cassidy, endorsed by Trump when he won reelectionin2020, has been doing everything he can to get

back into the president’s good graces,supporting Trump’scontroversial cabinet appointments and mutinghis criticismofHealth and Human Services SecretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr.’s moves that have minimized theimportance of vaccines Emerson, 37, is in her thirdand ﬁnal term of the stateHouse.Her closeness with Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, ledhim and Landry to name her as chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which oversees tax legislation and thedraftingofstate construction projects.

Emerson sponsored the legislation in November that ﬂattened the corporate income tax rate and that abolished the much-derided corporate franchise tax.

Emerson also shepherded through the House ameasure that gives parents greater opportunities to usepublic dollarstopay for their childrentostudy at privateschools.

Emerson also sponsored the legislation that is moving Louisiana to the new election system where each party will have aprimary, and political independents can vote in eitherprimary Her bill ends the “jungle primary”for federal electionsthat pitted allcandidates together,regardless of party,and moves up the qualifyingperiod to January from July Emerson is amedia consultant for businesses, nonproﬁtsand political candidates.

Staffwriter Mark Ballard contributed to this article.

Email TylerBridges at tbridges@theadvocate. com.

St.Tammany councilmember Seiden eyes U.S. Senate run

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

St. Tammany Parish Council memberKathy Seiden hashired aTrumpaffiliated pollster and is exploring aU.S. Senate run to join agrowing ﬁeld of candidates challenging Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge.

“This is something we’re taking very seriously and will be making an official announcement soon,” Seiden, aRepublican whois in her ﬁrst term on the St. Tammany Parish Council, said in astatement Thursday. Seidensaidshe has hired pollster Adam Geller, who has worked on all threeofPresident Donald Trump’scampaigns, to look at the race.

Seiden would join agroup

Seiden

of majorGOP opponents to Cassidy,including state Sen. Blake MiguezofNew Iberia, Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta of Metairie and state Treasurer John Fleming of Minden. Ca ssidy hasbeen seen as a vulne ra ble candidate after he voted to convictTrump forinciting ariot ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on theU.S Capitol, but it is not clear if Trumpwill endorse aCassidy challenger, givenRepublicans’ 53-47 margin in the U.S. Senate.

Arelative newcomer to elected office, Seiden is little over halfway through

her first term on the St. Tammany Parish Council, where she chairs the council’sEconomicDevelopment Committee andhas worked on housing issues in the parish. “I think people would like an option of someone they can relate to who understands whata normal family goes through every day,”Seidensaidina statement. Seiden and her husband, Daniel Seiden, anuclear energy consultant,live in Mandeville andhavefour children.

Born in Hammond and raised in Port Allen, Seiden graduated from Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge,and hasa Bachelor of Arts in communications fromLouisiana State University

Kennedy has not explained the decision to oust Susan Monarez as CDC director less than amonth after she was sworn in, but warned that more turnover could be coming.

“There’salot of trouble at theCDC andit’sgoing to require getting rid of some peopleover the long term, in order for us to change the institutional culture,” Kennedy said at anews conference in Texas.

The White House has only said that Monarez was “not aligned with” President Donald Trump’sagenda. There is no word on when areplacement could be named.

Monarez’slawyers said that she refused “to rubberstamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts.” She is fighting her dismissal, saying the decision must come directly from Trump, who nominated her in March.

The saga began Wednesday night with the administration’sannouncement that Monarez would no longer lead the CDC. In response, three ofﬁcials—Dr. Debra Houry,Dr. Demetre Daskalakis and Dr.Daniel Jernigan —resigned from senior roles at the agency

The officials returned to theofﬁce Thursday to collect their belongings,and staff members at the beleaguered agency had planned to gather in theafternoon to applaud them as they left the Atlanta campus. But their removal by security personnel earlier in the morning squelched those

PRISON

Continued from page1A

“This is acommitment, acommitment to ensuring that every woman who enters these doors leaves better prepared for her future, acommitment to justice that is not only ﬁrm butfair, and acommitment to the belief that every individual has the capacity to change,” she said.

The prison will begin absorbing inmateshoused at theJetson Center for Youth in Baker,which held about half of the original women’s prisonpopulation, and other correctional facilities over the next fewweeks, according to aDepartment of Corrections spokesperson.

The complex is approximately 300,000 square feet andcontains 15 buildings, including dormitories, a gymnasium,medical building, kitchen, postpartum wing and education center

“This facility represents progress,” Thomas said.

“It is designed to provide asafe, secure and humane environment while also creating meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation.”

In the career and technical educationprograms, women can receive traininginfurniture restoration,cosmetology,medical laboratory assisting, horti-

plans, accordingtocurrent andformeremployees.

Houry and Daskalakis told The Associated Press that Monarez had tried to guard against politicalmeddling in scientificresearch and health recommendations.

“Wewere going tosee if she was able to weather the storm. And whenshe was not, we were done,” Houry said.She hadbeen theagency’sdeputydirectorand chief medical ofﬁcer Daskalakis resigned as headofthe National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and Jernigan from the National Centerfor Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. If removed, Monarez will be the shortest-servingdirector since the CDCwas founded in 1946, exacerbating aleadership vacuum that has persisted since Trump took office. He initially chose David Weldon,

culture, welding and heavy equipment operation.

They can also earn abachelor’sdegree in Christian ministrythroughthe New OrleansBaptist Theological Seminary Landry said the programs give women the tools to “reenter our community and be productive citizens.”

“I think it’simportant that this facility also reﬂects the position that our administration is taking on thecriminal justice system,”Landry said. “Our hope is that those whohave to come into this facility do soand only are tenants one time.”

The new prison will support 58 medical and mental health employees. Thomas, who is acertified Prison Rape Elimination Act auditorand victim’s advocate,highlightedthe link between mental healthand contact with thecriminal justicesystem.

“Weknowthatincarceration is not just about accountability but also about transformation,” Thomas said.“By offering mental healthservices, substance abuse treatment and trauma-informed care, we are addressing thechallenges that too often contribute to cycles of incarceration ”

Reopening thewomen’s facilitytook far longer than state ofﬁcialsoriginallyes-

aformer Florida congressman who is adoctor andvaccine skeptic, but yanked the nomination in March.

Monarez, alongtime government scientist, was tappednext to lead the $9.2 billion agency while she was serving as itsinterim director.But questionsimmediately emerged within Kennedy’scircle abouther loyalty to the “Make America HealthyAgain” movement, especially given her previous supportofthe COVID-19 vaccines that Kennedy has routinely criticized.

Kennedy rarely mentioned Monarezbynameinthe way he did other healthagency leaders such as Mehmet Oz of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or Marty Makaryofthe Food and Drug Administration.

Aﬂashpoint has been Kennedy’shandling of theCDC’s advisory vaccine committee, which hehas tried to reshape since taking over the

timated

Initially,correctionsofﬁcials suggested theformer prisonwould be renovated after the 2016 flood and house inmates again after onlyfourtoeight months.

At the groundbreaking in 2022, then-Gov.JohnBel Edwards acknowledged “the wheels can movereally slowly sometimes on recovery.”

On Thursday,Landry said the former women’scorrectional facility,built in 1972, wasintended to “stand for generations.”

“Unfortunately,Mother Nature came calling,” Landry said. “In 2016, the great ﬂood devastated the facility,leaving it beyond repair.That required the state to look within to ﬁnd thefunds necessary to rebuild it becauseofthe great history that was on this site for rehabilitating women.”

He thankedcorrections leaders and officers for their contributions to the new facility.

“Our mission is simple but unwavering,”Landry said. “Wewill continue to do what’sright for ourcitizens, we will keep improving ourcorrectional facilities, and we will keep working to make our communities safe.”

Email Haley Miller at haley.miller@theadvocate. com.

Department of Health & Human Services to “indeﬁnitely postpone” the meeting that advises the CDConwho should take what vaccines when.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, was scheduled to meet again on Sept. 18. The panel is agroup of outside experts who make recommendations to the CDC director on how to use vaccines. The recommendations are then adopted by doctors, school systems, health insurers and others.

DepartmentofHealth and Human Services.

U.S.Sen. BillCassidy calledThursdayfor the panel on vaccines to halt As chair of the Senate HealthEducation Labor and Pensions Committee, Cassidy called forKennedy’s

Kennedy in June forced the retirement of all 17 ACIP members, madeup of physicians andscientists knowledgeable about vaccinations, andnamed eight newmembers—including some who have usedconservativemedia platforms to voice skepticism about vaccines.

“Seriousallegationshave been made about the meetingagenda, membership, and lack of scientiﬁc process being followed forthe now-

announced September ACIP meeting,”Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge,saidina statement released by his Senate committee. “These decisions directlyimpact children’s health andthe meeting should notoccuruntilsigniﬁcantoversight hasbeen conducted. If the meeting proceeds, any recommendationsmadeshould be rejected as lacking legitimacy given the seriousness of the allegations and the current turmoil in CDCleadership.” Houry and Daskalakis said Monarez had tried to make sure scientific safeguards were in place. For example,she tried to replace the ofﬁcial who coordinated the panel’s meetings with someone whohad more policy experience. Monarez also pushed to have slides and evidence reviews posted weeks before the committee’smeetings and have thesessionsopentopublic comment, Houry said. HHS officials nixed that and called Monarez to a meeting in Washington on

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BEN GRAy Workersand supportersgather to rally for departing scientificleaders

BRIEFS

Japan seeks faster action on tariffs

TOKYO Japan’s top trade negotiator abruptly canceled a trip to Washington aimed at issuing a joint statement on a tariffs deal with the Trump administration, as a top government spokesperson urged the U.S. side to speed up implementation of the agreement.

Trade envoy Ryosei Akazawa was scheduled to leave Tokyo for Washington on Thursday for a 10th round of talks, following up on the agreement announced on July 22.

But Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters some details required further consultations, so the trip was postponed.

In July, the two sides agreed on a 15% tax on imports of most Japanese goods, effective Aug. 1, down from an earlier 25% rate announced by President Donald Trump as “reciprocal tariffs” on the major U.S ally Japanese ofﬁcials discovered days later that the preliminary deal would add a 15% tariff to other tariffs and objected. Ofﬁcials in Washington have acknowledged the mistake and agreed to abide by the agreement on a 15% tariff, and to refund any excess import duties that were paid. So far, that hasn’t happened.

“We will strongly request the United States to amend its presidential order to correct the reciprocal tariffs and to issue the presidential order to lower tariffs on autos and auto parts,” Hayashi said.

In an interview with Fox News earlier this week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Washington was ready to finalize the deal, in which Japan also pledged to invest up to $550 billion in the United States in coming years.

Plans for Akazawa to visit Washington are undecided, Hayashi said during a daily brieﬁng, with another nudge at the Trump administration.

U.S. applications for jobless benefits down

WASHINGTON Applications for unemployment beneﬁts for the week ending Aug. 23 dropped 5,000 to 229,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday Measures of the job market are being closely watched on Wall Street and by the Federal Reserve as the most recent government data suggests hiring has slowed sharply since this spring. Job gains have averaged just 35,000 a month in the three months ending in July, barely one-quarter what they were a year ago. While layoffs are low, hiring has also weakened as part of what many economists describe as a “no hire, no fire” economy Still, the unemployment rate remains a low 4.2%.

Tesla sales continue plunging in Europe

NEW YORK Europeans angry at Elon Musk still aren’t buying his cars months after the billionaire predicted a major rebound” in Tesla sales, data released Thursday shows.

Tesla sales plunged 40% in July in the 27 European Union countries compared with the year earlier even as sales overall of electric vehicle soared, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. Meanwhile, sales of Chinese rival BYD continued to climb fast, grabbing 1.1% market share of all car sales in the month versus Tesla’s 0.7%.

Musk angered many Europeans by wading into politics there, embracing far-right candidates, calling a British prime minister an “evil tyrant” who belongs in prison and telling Germans “things will get very, very much worse” in their country if they didn’t vote for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party Protests broke out in several cities, including a hanging of the billionaire in efﬁgy in Milan and posters in London likening him to a Nazi.

Markets add to their previous records

BY ALEX VEIGA AP business writer

Wall Street notched more milestones Thursday after gains in technology stocks helped push the market to another all-time high.

The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, lifting the benchmark index to its second record high in a row The Dow Jones Industrial Average reversed an early slide and gained 0.2%, enough to move past its record high set last Friday

The Nasdaq composite closed 0.5% higher, ﬁnishing just short of its all-time high set two weeks ago.

About 55% of the companies in the benchmark S&P 500 closed

lower, but gains in the technology and communication services sectors offset losses elsewhere in the market. Broadcom rose 2.8%, Amazon added 1.1% and Google parent Alphabet ﬁnished 2% higher

“We’re seeing a continuation of a theme that has been in place really all year long, and that is communication services, information technology, really the areas that are surrounding this incredible capital expenditure cycle, have been the primary beneﬁciaries,” said Bill Northey senior investment director at U.S. Bank Asset Management. Heading into the final day of trading in August, the S&P 500 and

Dow were on pace for their fourth straight monthly gain, while the Nasdaq was closing in on its ﬁfth.

The market’s latest gains came as traders pored over a mixed batch of earnings reports from big U.S. companies and new reports on the job market and U.S. economy Best Buy dropped 3.7% after the consumer electronics chain’s second-quarter snapshot was overshadowed by an outlook clouded due to the tariffs the U.S. is imposing on trading partners. Despite also posting better-thanexpected quarterly results, Urban Outﬁtters slid 10.7% after the retailer warned that it expects tariffs will increase pressure on its

gross margins in the second half of the year

Dick’s Sporting Goods fell 4.8% despite reporting second-quarter results that beat analysts’ expectations.

Elsewhere in the market, Spam maker Hormel sank 13.1% for the biggest decline among S&P 500 companies after its earnings fell short of Wall Street’s forecasts and the company cut its outlook for the year Friday will bring another update on inﬂation: the U.S. personal consumption expenditures index. Economists expect it to show that inﬂation remained at about 2.6% in July, compared with a year ago.

Revised report says economy grew 3.3% in second quarter

BY PAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer

WASHINGTON The U.S. economy rebounded this spring from a first-quarter downturn due to fallout from President Donald Trump’s trade wars.

In an upgrade from its first estimate in July, the Commerce Department said Thursday that U.S. gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services expanded at a 3.3% annual pace from April through June after shrinking 0.5% in the ﬁrst three months of 2025. The department had initially estimated second-quarter growth at 3%.

The ﬁrst-quarter GDP drop, the ﬁrst retreat of the U.S. economy in three years, was mainly caused by a surge in imports — which are subtracted from GDP as businesses scrambled to bring in foreign goods ahead of Trump’s tariffs. That trend reversed as expected in the second quarter: Imports fell at a 29.8% pace, boosting April-June growth by more than 5 percentage points.

The Commerce Department reported that consumer spending and private investment were a bit stronger in the second quarter than it had ﬁrst estimated. Consumer spending, which accounts for

about 70% of GDP, grew at a 1.6% annual pace, lackluster but better than 0.5% in the ﬁrst quarter and the 1.4% the government initially estimated for the second. Even with an upward revision, private investment dropped at a 13.8% annual pace from April through June. That would be biggest drop since the second quarter of 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic

A reduction in private inventories cut almost 3.3 percentage points off second-quarter GDP growth.

Spending and investment by the federal government fell at a 4.7% annual clip on top of a 4.6% drop in the ﬁrst quarter

A category within the GDP data that measures the economy’s underlying strength came in stronger than ﬁrst reported, growing 1.9% from April-June, same as in the ﬁrst quarter This category includes consumer spending and private investment, but excludes volatile items like exports, inventories and government spending.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has overturned decades of U.S. policy that had favored freer trade. He’s slapped double-digit taxes on imports from almost every country on earth and targeted speciﬁc products for tariffs, too, including steel, aluminum and autos.

Trump sees tariffs as a way to protect American industry lure factories back to the United States and to help pay for the massive tax cuts he signed into law July 4.

But mainstream economists — viewed with disdain by Trump and his advisers — say that his tariffs will damage the economy raising costs and making protected U.S. companies less efﬁcient. They note that tariffs are paid by importers in the United States, who try to pass along the cost to their customers via higher prices. Therefore, tariffs can be inﬂationary — though their impact so far has been modest.

The erratic way Trump has imposed the tariffs — announcing and suspending them, then coming up with new ones has left businesses bewildered and uncertain about investments and hiring.

Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said the resilience of the job market — the government also reported Thursday that fewer people applied last week for unemployment beneﬁts — is “giving people conﬁdence to open their wallets for the basics and some little splurges.”

But she expected the economy to stay in a ”slower speed mode with spending and growth around 1.5% as the tariffs become more visible to American consumers.”

Treasury wants U.S. banks to monitor for Chinese money laundering

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Treasury Department wants U.S. financial institutions to monitor for suspected Chinese money laundering networks handling funds that are used to fuel the ﬂood of fentanyl across American communities.

An advisory Thursday to banks, brokers and others highlights how such operations are working with Mexican drug cartels.

The Trump administration is calling on banks to flag certain customers who may ﬁt a proﬁle of people who could launder money for cartels. That could include Chinese nationals such as students, retirees and housewives with unex-

plained wealth, and those who refuse to provide information about the source of their money

The Treasury contends that many of these people unknowingly work with cartels to bypass Chinese currency controls that restrict the renminbi exchange rate through a system limiting the annual foreign currency conversion for individuals, which is about $50,000. It is not uncommon for Chinese individuals to evade such restrictions by turning to underground banks where their money is converted into foreign currencies, often U.S. dollars. The Chinese Embassy in Washington had no immediate comment Thursday Also Thursday, the department’s

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network known as FinCen released a report about how Chinese money laundering networks are expanding their ties beyond drug cartels. Financial institutions are increasingly filing suspicious activity reports on human trafficking and adult senior day care centers in New York that have become a vehicle for money laundering, according to the report. FinCen analyzed more than 137,000 Bank Secrecy Act reports from January 2020 to December 2024 that accounted for approximately $312 billion in total suspicious activity Last year, law enforcement officials uncovered a complex partnership between Mexico’s Sinaloa

Cartel and Chinese underground banking groups in the United States that laundered $50 million from the sale of fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs, federal prosecutors said.

The government’s instruction to banks to be more vigilant about Chinese students and other Chinese nationals comes as Republican President Donald Trump says he will allow 600,000 Chinese students into American universities. “I hear so many stories about ‘We are not going to allow their students,’ but we are going to allow their students to come in. We are going to allow it. It’s very important — 600,000 students,” Trump said during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the Oval Ofﬁce on Monday

STAFF FILE PHOTO By By JILL PICKETT

A customer loads up purchases into a cart Jan. 16 at Walmart Neighborhood Market in Bossier City

Fla. taxpayersmay lose $218Mon‘AlligatorAlcatraz’

Judgeordered facility’s shutdown

BY MIKE SCHNEIDER and KATE PAYNE Associated Press

ORLANDO,Fla. Florida taxpayers could be on the hook for $218 million the state spenttoconvert aremote training airport in theEverglades into an immigration detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”

The center may soon be completely empty as a judge upheld her decision late Wednesday ordering operations to wind down indeﬁnitely Shutting downthe facility for the time being would cost the state $15million to $20million immediately, and it would cost another $15 million to $20 million to reinstall structures if Florida is allowed to reopen it, according to court filings by thestate.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management will lose most of the value of the $218 million it has invested in making the airport suitable for adetention center,astate ofﬁcial said in court papers. Built in just afew days, the facility consists of chainlink cages surroundinglarge white tents ﬁlled with rows of bunk beds.

An Associated Press analysis of publicly available state spending data showed that Florida has signedat least $405 million in vendor contracts to build and oper-

ate the facility,which ofﬁcials had initially estimated wouldcost $450 million a year to run. Aprevious AP review found thatasoflate July,the statehad already allocated at least $245 million to run the site, which opened July 1.

President Donald Trump toured the facility last month and suggested it could be amodel forfuture lockups nationwide as his administration races to expandthe infrastructureneeded toincrease deportations.

The center has been plaguedbyreports of unsanitary conditions and detaineesbeing cut offfrom the legal system It’salsofacing several legal challenges, including onethatU.S.District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled on late Wednesday. She denied requeststopause her order to winddown operations, after agreeing last week with environmentalgroups and the MiccosukeeTribe that the state and federal defendants didn’tfollowfederal law requiring an environmental review for thedetention center in themiddleof sensitive wetlands.

The Miami judge said the number ofdetainees was already dwindling and that the federal government’s “immigration enforcement goals will not be thwarted by apause in operations.”

That’sdespite Department of HomelandSecurity lawyerssayingthe judge’s order would disrupt that enforcement.

When asked, the Depart-

an emailexchangeshared with The Associated Press on Wednesday.The executive director of theFlorida DivisionofEmergency Management, Kevin Guthrie, said on Aug. 22 “weare probably going to be down to 0individuals within a fewdays,” in amessage to a rabbi about chaplaincy services.

Funding is central to the federalgovernment’sargumentsthatWilliams’ order should be overturned by an appellate court.

center “No ﬁnal federal funding decisions have been made,” the attorneys said. Almosttwo dozenRepublican-led states also urged the appellate court to overturn theorder.The 22 states argued in anothercourtﬁling that thejudge overstepped her authority and that the federal environmental laws only appliedtothe federal agencies, notthe state of Florida.

ment of Homeland Security wouldn’tsay howmanydetainees remained and how many hadbeen moved out since thejudge’stemporary injunction last week.

“DHS is complying with this order andmoving detainees to other facilities,” the departmentsaidThursday in an emailed statement.

Environmental activist Jessica Namath,who has kept anearlyconstant watch outside the facility’sgates, said Thursday that fellow observers had seenmetal framing for tents hauled out but no signs of the removal of FEMAtrailers or portable bathrooms.

“It definitely seems like they have been winding down operations,” Namath said.

Based on publicly available contract data, The Associated Press estimated the state allocated $50 mil-

lionfor thebathrooms. Detainees and advocates have described toiletsthat don’t flush, flooding floors withfecal waste, although officials disputesuch descriptions. The facility was already being emptied of detainees as of last week, according to

Homeland Security attorneys said in acourt filing thisweek that federal environmental lawdoesn’t apply to astate like Florida, and the federal government isn’tresponsible for the detention center since it hasn’t spent acent to build or operate the facility,even though Florida is seeking somefederal grant moneytofund aportion of thedetention

Republican Gov.Ron DeSantis’ administration is preparing to open asecond immigration detention facility dubbed “Deportation Depot” at astate prison in north Florida. Civil rights groups ﬁleda second lawsuit last month against the state and federal governments over practices at the Everglades facility claiming detainees weredenied accesstothe legalsystem

BY BABAR DOGAR and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press

NAROWAL, Pakistan Rescuers in boats raced to reach stranded families in Pakistan’spopulous easternPunjab province Thursday,after three major rivers burst their banksbecauseofheavy rain and the release of water from overflowing dams in neighboring India.

Theﬂoods displaced nearly 250,000people and ofﬁcials said more than 1million people were affected, with crops and businesses destroyed and many unable to leave their homes.

At least 15 people were killed aday earlier in Gujranwala district and nearby villages, according to police.

Forecasters said more rain was expected Friday,after atwo-day pause, and could continue into next week

Marriyum Aurangzeb, senior minister of Punjab province, said floods hit 1,432villageslocatedalong the Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab rivers,affecting about1.2 million people and displacing 248,000 others.

Nearly 700 relief and 265 medical camps have been set up in the ﬂood-hit areas, she said, adding that food and other essential supplies

are being delivered toﬂoodhit areas.

Floods havekilled more than 800 peopleinPakistan since late June.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan is “among the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters” andranks amongthe 10 most affected by climate change.

“Wemust keep in mind that this trendwill continue in thecoming years. It now depends on us howweconfront this challenge,” he said after visiting ﬂood-hit areas. Sharif announced thatPakistan wouldbuild more water storagetocontrol future ﬂoods.

In Indian-controlled Kashmir’sJammu region, some of the heaviest rains in decades for the monthofAugusthave wrought havoc,triggering flash floods and landslides that also hittwo Hindu pilgrimage routes in the Himalayan areas.

Homes have been submerged and roads and bridgesdamaged, forcing Indian authorities toevacuate thousands of people livingin ﬂooded areas. At least 115 peoplehavebeen killed andscoresinjured.

In Pakistan, it is alsothe ﬁrst timein38yearsthat the Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab riv-

ers have been in high ﬂood simultaneously,forcing rescue workerstointensify operations acrossmultiple districts, according to the provincialirrigation department

Some families saidthey werestill waitingfor government help.

“My family on the rooftopofour house waited for two days for the arrival of aboat,”saidZainabBibi, 54, as she satalong aroad surroundedbyfloodwater in Narowal district. She admitted to ignoring an earlier government alertbecause she thought floods would never hit her village, located miles away from the river.

Farmer Mohammad Saleem, 47, saidfloodsfrom across theIndianborder swept away his home and belongings before his family couldescapetheir villagein Narowaldistrict.His38-yearoldwife, Kaneez Bibi,said thefloodssweptawaythe dowry she had prepared for their eldest daughter’swedding planned for November

In Pakistan’s Punjab province, mass evacuationsbegan earlier this week after heavier-than-usual monsoon rains and the release of water from overflowingdams in Indiatriggered flashfloodsin low-lying border regions.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By REBECCA BLACKWELL

Work progresses on anew migrant detention facility dubbed ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’onJuly 4atDade-Collier Training and Transition facility in the FloridaEverglades in Ochopee, Fla.

Reminder of hope

On Thursday, the Interfaith Federation of Greater Baton Rouge organized a service for community members involved with postKatrina relief and recovery efforts. The ‘Service of Remembrance, Thanksgiving, and Hope,’ held at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, marked the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and was held in conjunction with the ofﬁce of Mayor-President Sid Edwards. ABOVE: George Bell performs a trumpet solo Thursday during the service. LEFT: Aaron Jackson, a Hurricane Katrina survivor, stands in the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church sanctuary following the service on Thursday

PHOTOS By HILARy SCHEINUK

Industrial growth on Mississippi River debated

Former Vice President Gore speaks at rally

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT

Staff writer

Below a small painting of a burning bush, in a church sitting between the CF Industries and Mosaic ammonia plants near Donaldsonville, former Vice President Al Gore called Wednesday for River Parish residents to lead the nation in sunsetting the

fossil fuel industry in the face of climate change.

Scientists anticipate south Louisiana could see more than a foot of sea level rise within 15 years. Around 200 industrial plants sit up and down the lower Mississippi River producing roughly 25% of the nation’s petrochemical industry products. Residents frequently voice concerns about health and environmental impacts from chemicals emitted from the facilities.

Gore insisted it was “not ac-

ceptable for us to say, ‘Oh, we just didn’t notice what was going on; we were sleeping.’”

“It’s unacceptable in American democracy for citizens to not pay attention when their neighbors, much less their family members, are threatened, as the people in these communities are being threatened,” he said. “Now is the time to speak out and to insist that we have a signiﬁcant set of changes.”

Staff report

Louisiana Public

in September 2024. Originally from New Orleans’ West Bank, Wilson’s journalism career took her north to Monroe, and then to Little Rock, Arkansas, before her interest

in being closer to family and an opportunity at LPB brought her back home to south Louisiana. When she

BY EMILY WOODRUFF

HILARy SCHEINUK

DCFS:Missing N.O. boy wassubjectedtoabuse

Report says Bryan Vasquezhad suffered traumatic braininjury

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

The New Orleans boy at the center of amassive search that ended Tuesday with the discovery of his corpse in the midstofalligators had suffered atraumatic brain injury at the hands of hismother as a baby and was subject to “ongoing” physical abuse, according to a2021 report from the state Department of Children and FamilyServices. While Hilda Vasquez has described 12-year-old Bryan Vasquez as autistic, the 2021 report said his disability wasclassiﬁed in an individualized educationplan as “traumatic brain injury(non-accidental).” The report was prompted by anotice from school of bruises to his inner thigh and face.

An earlier policereport states Hilda Vasquez injured Bryan, then 3months old,inlate 2013. He’d been taken to the emergency room with injuries that included adamaged lung, retinal hemorrhages, fractures in both legs that caused his ankles to bend outward, and a skull fracture with swelling,anofﬁcer reported.

Then22and hisprimary care-

taker,Hilda Vasquez called an ambulance on Nov.20, 2013, reporting that her baby had stopped breathing and started vomiting bloodand milk, according to the police case summary.She didnot explain how her sonwas injured.

Adoctor foundthe injuries “acute and suspicious of nonaccidental trauma,” diagnosed child physicalabuse and notiﬁed NOPD’sspecialvictimssection.

Police ﬁled for an arrest warrant, andHilda Vasquez was charged in 2014withcruelty to juvenilesand second-degree crueltytojuveniles. Shelater pleaded guilty to alesser chargeofnegligent treatment or neglect.

The boy was placed in foster care andlaterreturned to his mother’s care, accordingtodocuments.

TheDCFSreport reveals that physical abuse persisted. The Oct. 8, 2021, reportstatesthat Bryan had large bruises on his face and hisinnerthigh. He also had “tapeworms on two different occasions.”

Bryan is described in thereport as “nonverbal, does not utilize any form of nonverbal communication (will occasionallypull an adult to what hewants).”

New OrleansPolice Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick saidthe departmentisinvestigatingthe unclassified death along with DCFS andthe state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Hilda Vasquez left avigil for her son without comment late Thurs-

day.Achaplain said she was overheated.

Morethan100 people, dressed in blue and white and holding balloonsand ﬂowers, gatheredto watch ablueironcross placed by thewatersedge. The mood was tearful and solemn, punctuated by emotional outbursts.

There, Cristiane Rosales-Fajardo, aresident andcommunity activist who helped organize the civilian search andhas served as atranslator for the mother,maintained that theboy was autistic and saidshe wasn’tfamiliar with theDCFS report.

Bryan was ﬁrst reported missing at around 10 a.m. Aug. 14 after he slippedout of awindowofhis Beaucaire Street home. Surveillance video captured him that morningonnearbySevres Street, which runs alongside the body of water where he waslater found dead.

Aided by athermal drone, volunteer Jon Gusanders discovered the body ﬂoating in the lagoon at around8 a.m. Tuesday,endinga 12-day multiagencysearch. The New Orleans coroner determined he died fromblunt force trauma and drowning sustained during an alligator attack.

Tony Dicky,achaplain withthe United Cajun Navy,led thecrowd and aprayer conducted in both Spanish and English.

“Weask for your grace and mercy upon this family as they grieve theloss of their loved one,” he said.

PosiGentolay off166 in Louisiana

Solarpanel installer to shuttermost operations

BY BLAKE PATERSON |Staff writer

Louisiana solar panelinstaller

PosiGen is laying off 166 local employees andceasing most of itsoperations nationwide after facing a cashcrunch amid rollbacks in federal renewableenergy tax credits. The company,which operates facilities in St.Charles andJefferson parishes, notiﬁed state andlocal ofﬁcialsofthe layoffs Monday, saying it defaulted on acredit line and couldn’traisethe long-term capital necessary to maintain its existing head count.

PosiGen said an additional 92 employeesinLouisiana could be laid off in the next two weeks if it can’tﬁnd additional funding or away to sell whatremains of its business.

Foundedin2011, PosiGenspecializes in marketing solar energy systems to low-income households and rode awave of state and local solar credits that alloweditto grow quickly for much of thepast decade.

But it said itsability to secure new investments, which were neededtofund recent expansions, were hampered by the passage in July of PresidentDonald Trump’s tax and spendingbill, which cancels certain renewable energytax credits starting next year

The collapse of PosiGen comes as other clean energy companies struggle to adjust to the sudden

changes in thetax code.

“Companies in the renewable energyindustry— from electricians, manufacturers, engineers, to installers —expanded to meet growing energydemands. Now, because of the recent federal actions,they have no off-ramps,”

Monika Gerhart, executive director of theGulfStates Renewable Energy Industries Association, said in astatement.

In addition to the local joblosses, the companyﬁled notices earlier this week that it was laying off49 employees in Pennsylvania and 78 employees in Connecticut. According to its website, PosiGen also has ofﬁces inMassachusetts, Mississippi,Rhode Island and New Jersey,though it’sunclear how workers were affected there.

PosiGen’sfounderand executivechairman, TomNeyhart, did notimmediatelyrespondtoa request forcomment. Calls to the numbers listed in its stateﬁlings were not returned.

PosiGen hasinstalled nearly 30,000 solar systems in 15 states.

The company’s business model heavily depends on tax credits, which allow it to partner with banks or other financial institutionstofund installation of solar panels, which arethenleased to homeowners. Its primary offering is a20-year,nomoney down, no escalating lease that doesn’trequire aminimum credit score or income leveltoqualify.

In 2023,then-TreasurySecretary Janet Yellen visited PosiGen’sheadquarters in St.Rose as part of atour promotingPresident Joe Biden’slegislative accom-

Nezat, drummerin Louisianabands,dies

Career included national acts

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

Louisiana drummer Dave Nezat, anative of Eunice, has died in Lafayette following alongcareer drumming for notable local and national acts, including Grammywinning group Chubby Carrier andthe Bayou SwampBand. According to social media reports from Nezat’s brother,Ron Nezat, Dave Nezat diedonWednesday, Aug. 27 of an apparent heartattack. He owned Nezat’sPressure Washing in Lafayette, and was knownamong Acadiana’smusic community as agenerous musician and friend. In additiontothe BayouSwamp Band,Nezat,who is also knownas “Papa Puff,”worked with groups like theJerry Garcia Band, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Doug Kershaw,CCAdcock, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Earth Wind and Fire, Motorhomeand others. He spent20years as aworking

BACTERIA

Continued from page1B

musicianinColorado, before returning home to Louisianatoplay music andrun his pressure washing business. Nezat was afriend andsupporter to Dockside Studio,amusic production space in Maurice known for producing Grammywinningrecords. Thestudio, which is at 4755 Woodlawn Road next to the Vermilion River,took on twofeet of water during the 2016 flood.According to CezanneNails, Dockside’sowner,Nezat took the lead in rallying people to help clear outand rebuild the studio after the ﬂoodwaters receded. “Dave, with his deep voice, caring direction and optimism of this disaster just took control,” Nails wroteonFacebook,onhearing the newsofNezat’sdeath. “People just did what they could do. It wasthe biggestact of love from himand everyone there. Oneof my true heroes is gone and we will never hear hisvoice or that big laugh again.”

Email Joanna Brownat joanna.brown@theadvocate. com.

plishments, including the Inﬂation Reduction Act,which encouraged investments in solar through the extension andexpansion of renewable energy tax credits.

Much of those taxcredits were rolledbackunder theOne Big Beautiful Bill, which terminates a 30% tax credit for homeowners at the end of this year anda similar credit that canbeusedfor commercial solar installations at the end of 2027.

In December,international investmentfirmBrookfield Asset Managementboosted its investment in PosiGen by $200 million, bringing its total investment in the company since 2023 to $600 million. That followed a$100 million round of new ﬁnancing in 2022.

According to the notice it sent to state ofﬁcials,PosiGen recently experienced rapid growth “due to certain external opportunities” that put astrain on its operations.

The company said it spent its working capital on the solar projects it was already under contract to complete. In early August,the company missedaninterest payment on itscredit facility

“This all occurredinthe shadow of thepassageofanew federal tax lawthatcancelledcertain federal renewable energy tax credits as of the end of 2025, adding regulatory uncertainty to the renewables industry andmaking it more difficult for the Company to securefinancing,” John Truschinger,Posigen’schief administrative officer,wroteinthe notice.

Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com.

10 cases andone death, withno tiestoLouisiana, according to the statehealth department. Mississippi hasconfirmed five cases and one death, all connected to water exposure, including one involving Louisiana waters. Florida hasreported the highestnumbers with 23 cases and five deaths. The Alabama DepartmentofPublic Health did not respond to questionsabout Vibrio cases,but earlier this year reported at least five in Mobile. Two of those were from injuries and three from eating undercooked food. Cases typically peak in the hottest months,when Gulf waters are the warmestand more people are swimming or fishing along the coast. Rising temperatures andmoreintense heat waves could extend the season when Vibrio thrives. Amore active stormseason also increases the presence of Vibrio vulnificus because runoff enters coastal waters, creating conditions that makeiteasier forthe bacteria to flourish, and states typically see highernumbers of infections after storms pass through.

Symptoms andtreatment

There are at least adozen types of Vibrio bacteria, but Vibrio vulnificus is the mostdangerous, capable of causing suddenand severe illness. The bacteria can enter through acut or scrape and begin destroying tissue almost immediately

“Once the bacteria enters the body,itstarts secreting different toxins thattrigger the skin to die. That is aserious, necrotizing infection,” said Dr.Norman Beatty, an infectious disease physician at the University of Florida.

One hallmark symptom can help distinguish Vibrio from other skin infections:the appearance of ﬂuid-ﬁlledblisters at the wound site and rapidly spreading redness. In some cases, the infection can escalate to life-threatening illness within aday

“You’llsee folks whosmolder,” said Julio Figueroa, infectious disease expert at LSU Health NewOrleans.“Andyou have the people who just sort of crash and burn, andthey’re dead 48 hours later.”

WILSON

While most healthy people recover from Vibrio vulniﬁcus infections or maynot have severe symptoms, those with chronic health conditions face greater risks. Heavy alcohol users and people with liver disease, diabetes or weakened immune systems are morelikely to need hospital care.

Early medical careiscritical Antibiotics can often stop the infection from spreading, but it’s important to tell adoctor if you have recently been in the water or had exposure to shellﬁsh. Even short exposures might lead to infection.

“Walking on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with awound in the water is enough to do it,” Figueroa said.

If someone is exposed to Vibrio vulnificus through undercooked seafood suchasraw oysters, symptoms usually includediarrhea and vomiting. In people with liverproblems,itcan lead to sepsis, alife-threatening bloodstream infection, Figueroa said. People with hepatitis or autoimmune liver disease should take care not to expose themselvesthrough shucking oystersorfishing, even if they don’tintend to eat it raw “Whenyou’re handlingshellfish, it’s kind of hard nottopoke yourself,” Figueroa said.

The Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention urges vulnerable people to avoid raw oysters and other undercooked shellﬁsh. The agency also recommends keeping wounds covered and out of warm coastal waters during the summer, when higher water temperatures create ideal conditions for the bacteria to multiply.Wearing protective clothing and shoes can also help prevent scrapes or cuts while in the water

Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate.com.

Continued from page1B HOME DELIVERED EVERYDAY

member but also aremarkable individual whose dedication and kindnesstouched everyone with whom sheworked,” LPB President and CEO Clarence “C.C.” Copeland said. LPB Executive Producer Linda Midgett added, “Dorothea was truly alight in this world. She had awonderful sense of humor and was adelight to work with in everyway.Weare grateful forthe timewehad with herand already missher kind, wonderful presence.” Funeral arrangements are pending.

STAFF PHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER

Friends, supporters and search teams participate in amemorial walk and placement of amarkertoBryan Vasquez in NewOrleans on Thursday.

D. Nezat

Landry seals deal on LIV Golf event at City Park

BY JONI HESS | Staff writer

New Orleans will officially host a LIV Golf event next summer, Gov Jeff Landry announced Wednesday at City Park, making it the ﬁfth U.S. stop on the international tour

The league, backed by a Saudi Arabian wealth fund, brings a second professional golf tournament to the metro area, with dates set for June 26-28 at Bayou Oaks golf course in City Park.

“I’ve always imagined that the city of New Orleans will surpass all cities in the country as being the place where you want to entertain, and we have proven that again and again,” Landry said at City Park’s Pavilion of Two Sisters.

Landry was joined on stage by LIV CEO Scott O’Neil; state Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie; City Park Conservancy CEO Rebecca Dietz; and other state and local ofﬁcials at a splashy news conference that featured a DJ, the Treme Funktet Band and pyrotechnics.

The announcement itself offered a glimpse into what officials said the three-day tour would bring once it hits the city next year

PGA Tour, said in an interview

Wednesday that LIV’s June schedule is unlikely to impact the organization, which hosts their yearly tournament in April.

“We’re just going to continue focusing on providing the best customer service experience,” he said.

Worthy said the Classic is “coming off three straight record-setting years,” including $24.6 million dispersed to charities over the past decade.

Bringing the tour to New Orleans follows a sea of controversy over the league’s wider presence in the U.S.

PGA Tour ofﬁcials and political leaders have accused Saudi Arabia of “sports washing,” or investing billions into sports, businesses and other ventures as part of an image makeover campaign in an effort to distract from its history of human rights violations.

”This is not your grandfather’s golf. We have walk-up songs. We have emcees. We have DJs. We have concerts on the course,” O’Neil said.

GROWTH

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The Louisiana Legislature, at Landry’s request earlier this year, helped lure the tour to New Orleans with a $7 million one-time budget allocation — $2.2 million of which goes toward improving City Park’s Bayou Oaks golf course, and the other $5 million toward LIV as a hosting fee.

“City Park is about to get a facelift,” Landry said “This is an area that could be even greater We can make City Park great again.”

City Park leaders this week ﬁnalized a new 20-year master plan based on community feedback that does not include renovating Bayou Oaks.

LIV launched in 2022 as an alternative to the PGA Tour Landry has said the tour could generate

about $60 million in economic impact. Critics say reaching that number is unlikely anytime soon.

The PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic, at TPC Louisiana on the West Bank of Jefferson Parish, has been a staple in the metro area since the 1930s and saw record attendance last year

Steve Worthy, chair and CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, which operates the tournament for the

Also at issue from both sides of the political spectrum is Saudi Arabia’s growing economic influence in the U.S., which was further cemented by President Donald Trump’s May announcement of the country’s $600 billion commitment to invest in the U.S. Other concerns about the tour center on claims of LIV nabbing golfers

More plants in plans

The event was held just outside Donaldsonville, which has become a central focus of the ongoing debate between industrial expansion and environmental and health concerns. Gore mentioned the RiverPlex MegaPark above Donaldsonville, arguing that local leaders “want to condemn 17,000 acres on the west side of the river to make room for yet another massive new industrial park.” Hyundai plans to build a $5.8 billion steel plant, while CF Industries and the Texas-based Ascension Clean Energy are seeking to construct ammonia plants that will use carbon capture and sequestration technology In total, more than $17 billion in possible industrial projects have been announced. Gov Jeff Landry touted the plans at the Baton Rouge Industrial Group’s quarter-

ly meeting last week, saying that Louisiana stands at the forefront of an economic revitalization. Donaldsonville has seen rising poverty rates for decades. Ofﬁcials

Robert Taylor founder and director of Concerned Citizens of St. John Parish, speaks during the rally on Wednesday.

including Mayor Leroy Sullivan and Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment say these projects will turn the trend around No local ofﬁcials attended

Wednesday’s event. A few days before the gathering, the lobbying group Industry Makes made a post on Facebook about the event saying that “evidence is emerging of outside money attempting to inﬂuence local communities through local proxies.”

Gore responded to the post by taking a bow to indicate himself as he said the group “put out a message before this event warning you to beware of outside agitators.”

“And speaking of outside agitators, is Formosa, is it from Donaldsonville?” he said. “ Shell Oil, are they from here, or are they

outside agitators?”

Asked for comment after the event, Cointment said in a written statement that the facilities “represent generational impact.”

“The projects underway in Ascension are some of the world’s cleanest and most innovative energy facilities. They will help create thousands of local jobs, strengthen our workforce, and secure America’s place as a leader in energy and manufacturing,” he wrote. “We respect the passion of those who raise concerns, but we also believe that responsible industry and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand. These projects beneﬁt Ascension Parish, the region and Louisiana.”

Focus on health effects

Much of the discussion focused on the release of chemicals by the industrial facilities and its health effects on residents. Living in an area coined “Cancer

Alley” by activists in the 1980s, many residents who spoke highlighted their battles with cancer or loved ones who passed away from the disease. Companies and industry groups dispute the claim the area has higher cancer rates, pointing to parishlevel data on new cancer diagnoses that show the region has average to below average cancer incidences. The region has become a ﬂashpoint over environmental justice. The U.S. Department of Justice sued Denka Performance Elastomers in 2023 over its LaPlace facility, seeking to reduce the plant’s emissions. The department dropped the lawsuit earlier this year, stating it fulfilled the goals of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher cartwright@theadvocate. com.

PHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER

Evans, John Maynard

FirstUnitedMethodistChurch,930 North Boulevard, at 10 a.m.

Guerra,Megan

HealingPlace Church,Annex Building, 19202 HighlandRoad, Baton Rouge,LAat11am.

Hallman, Milton DunbarFuneralHome, 3926 Divine St Columbia,SCat1pm

Hicks, Christopher ResthavenFuneralHomeat11am.

Jupiter, Celiner UnitedFellowshipFullGospel Church,2401 Annette Street in New Orleans, at 11 a.m.

Shipley, Donald Magnolia UnitedMethodistChurch, 16024 Greenwell Springs,atnoon. Obituaries Bailey, MableAnn

MableAnn Bailey passedawayonTuesday August19, 2025, at OldJef‐fersonCommunity Care CenterinBaton Rouge, LA She was73, anativeof Vacherie, LA anda resi‐dence of Edgard,LAVisita‐tiononSaturday, August 30, 2025, at GreaterDeliver‐anceFullGospel, 13890 SpruceSt.,Vacherie, LA, from9:00amtoreligious servicesat10:00am.Inter‐mentinthe church ceme‐tery. Arrangements by Williams &SouthallFuneral Home, 5414 Hwy1 Napoleonville,LA70390 (985) 369-7231. To sign the guest book or offercondo‐lences, visitour websiteat www.williamsandsouthall funeralhome.com.

Bell, Louise H.

Louise H. Bell, aresident of Baton Rougeand anative of Wilson,LA, born February 15, 1930, departed this life on August23, 2025. Funeral services will be held at Interdenominational Faith Assembly, 5045 Greenwell St., B.R., LA 70805 on Saturday, 8/30/25. Viewing at 9am until service begins at 10am.

Bell, Nora Lee

Nora Lee Bell anative andresident of plaquemine passed away August 24, 2025. Visitation is Friday August 29 at Roscoe Mortuary 58635 Meriam Street plaquemine 1-4PM Visitation will continue Saturday August30from 9 until Religious Service at Noon at NazareneBC6571 Highway 1Brusly Louisiana. Pastor Tarron James, Officiating. IntermentNazarene Cemetery. Nora leaves to cherish her memory 2daughters Valeriaand Latoria Bell, grandchildren and numerous other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by herhusband George Bell Sr and son George Bell jr and mother Elenora Williams

Debra Elaine Bendily, 70, of Baton Rouge, passed awaypeacefully on August 21, 2025,with her husband, Mickey,byher side. Born November 30, 1954, in Jennings,LA, Debrawas adevoted wife, mother, and grandmotherwhose creativityshone through her love of jewelry making, painting, and collecting art. Sheissurvivedbyher husband,Mickey Gowland; children Leslie Algero (Mike), Lydia DuSaules (Mark), Michelle Bryan, and Brian Johnson(Sunnie); 12 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and sistersDonna Kay Knight and Dale Holloway.She was preceded in death by her parents, Edna Elaine Watson and NolanRoy Bendily, brother, James Alfred Bendily. Knownfor her laughter, humor,and signature hats, Debra'shappiestmoments were with family,especially at "Camp Sweetie Piesand Bad Guys." Hercaretakers, Mrs. Shelley Birch and Angela Longstreet, provided extraordinary care in her final days. Shewillbe deeply missedand forever remembered for her joyful spirit and givingheart.

Joan ClaireDornier, aged 79, passed away peacefully on Aug.19, 2025, at ButterflyWingHospice in Baton Rouge.

Joan was born Dec. 16, 1945inSt. Louis, Missouri, the daughterofWalter Bernard Wegman and Bernice Madeleine Wegman. Sheisa graduateof Vanderbilt University, and later received her master's of business administration from Tulane University. Joan was married to Russell L. Dornier forover 30 years before hisdeath on Aug. 22, 2020. Joan especially loved to raise Arabianhorses, run marathons and playmahjong with friends. Butmost of all, she enjoyedspending time with family. The Dornier Family wouldliketoexpress gratitude to Hospice of Baton Rouge and GriswoldHome Care forall they did to provide Joan with exceptional care.

Joan is survivedbyher sister, Jean Burns; and brother-in-law, James Burns; brother-in-law, Randy Dornier,and his partner,Harriott; brotherin-law, ReneeDornier,and his wife, Mary Sue Dornier; sister-in-law, Beverly Roberts,and her husband Rob Roberts; sisters-in-law

Loyce Ann Dornier and Melisse Dornier;nieces Laura Boothby, Lanie Dornier, Lisa Nicholson, Leslie Robidoux and husband DougRobidoux, Lynley Dornier, Heather Mouchon, Juliet Roberts and partner TerryStevens, Miree Dornier andhusband Chris Edman; nephews Andy Roberts and partner Shanna James, Robert Dornier, Douglas Dornier and wifeJuliaDornier, Richard Dornier and wife Maury Dornier,David Dornier and his wife, Katie Dornier, RandallDornier and wifeMichelleEdelman Dornier, Ryan Dornier and wifeMindy Dornier Preceding Joan in death are her husband Russell Dornier, father Walter Bernard Wegman, mother Bernice Madeleine Wegman and brother-in-law Roger Dornier. Joan willbeburied with her husband in the chapel at West PointinNew York. Inlieuofflowers, memorialdonationsin Joan'smemorymay be directed to HospiceofBaton Rouge.

Mark EugeneEngemann, born January31, 1954, passed away peacefullyon August 27, 2025, surrounded his loving family.Born in Washington, Missouri, Mark was thethird child and oldest son of Alvinand Viola Ruether Engemann. Mark dedicatedhis life to hiswife of 50 years, Ellen Schwarz Engemann, their threechildrenand nine grandchildren. Agraduate of theUniversity of Missouri,Mark and Ellen left their home state in 1977 and moved to Louisiana to pursue farmworkwith Nick Bruckerhoff at Eldorado Plantation. In 1988, Mark and his brotherCurtisformedEngemann Farms in Maringouin, a partnership that would continue until 2017 when Mark retired. His true passionand life's work was farming. More than ajob or business, it was his true calling, avocation that he lovedand took great pride in forover 40 years. He was proud to play aleadershiproleincivic and farming organizations, servingasa member and later President of the Maringouin LionsClub,as acommissioner on the Atchafalaya Basin Levee Board, aBoardmember of theUpper Delta Soil &WaterConservationDistrict, and amember of theBoard of Directorsofthe American Sugar Cane League. Mark was afounding memberofthe Knightsof Columbus at St. Francis Cabrini Catholic Church in Livonia. When he wasn't in thefields, he lovedspending time with his children, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. Alongtime licensed pilot, Mark found greatjoy in flying hisairplane and spending time on False Riverwith his friendsand family.Mark is survivedbyhis wife, Ellen Schwarz Engemann; his children, EricSchwarz (Kacie), EugeneClark (Laura), and Patrick John (Margaret); his grandchildren: Eli, Mills and RaeFrances Engemann, Markand Oliver Engemann, and Adelia Isabel, EllaGrace and Fitz Engemann; hissiblings: JaniceMeyer, Nancy Brinker (Don), Lisa Darling (Charles), Curtis Engemann (Cille) and Julie Harrison (David); his Godchildren,Jason Meyer (Lani), EmilyJackson(Lane), WilliamEngemann (Jacie) and Jessica Fairchild;and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Alvinand Viola Engemann Pallbearers willbeCurtis Engemann, DonBrinker, Charles Darling,David Harrison, Mitchell Ruether, ErikMiguel-Rodriguez, Andrew Price Gay and Rodney Fontaine. Mass servers willbeMitch Frey and JamesFontaine.Visitation willbeheldinParish Hall at St.Mary's of False River Catholic Church, 348 West MainStreet,New Roads, LA,onTuesday, September 2, 2025 from9:30 a.m. until Mass of ChristianBurial at 12:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please make adonation to Catholic of Pointe CoupeeSchool.

1973, where he wasa mem‐ber of theL.S.U.marching band. He earned ajuris doctorin1978, andwas ad‐mittedtothe barin1979 Hepracticed lawfor many years in theTwentieth Ju‐dicialDistrict, servingasa publicdefender1980-98 and 2004-11, andasassis‐tantdistrictattorney 19982004. He wasa member of the FirstBaptist Church, Jackson,La.,for over sixty years,where he served as a Sunday School teacher and choirmember. He was precededindeath by his parents.Heissurvivedby a brother, MichaelF.How‐ell,Sr.,and sister-in-law Barbara V. Howell, both of ofJackson,La.,alsoa nephewMichael F. Howell, Jr.,and wife Esther,also two greatnephews anda great niece: Jonathan E. Howell, Benjamin J. R. How‐ell,and MathildaA.Howell, all of Wolnzach,Germany Visitationwillbeheldat the FirstBaptist Church Jackson,La.,from9-10a.m onSaturday, August 30, fol‐lowed by funeralservice conducted by long-time pastorand friend,the Rev. Dr. JoeB.Nesom.Honorary pallbearers areMark Branch, Eugene Cutrer,Ike DeLee, Tobias Ford,Charles B.Grifﬁn, II,James Minton, and Pruitt Slaughter. In lieu of ﬂowers, memorial gifts may be made to theFirst Baptist Church,atP.O.Box 155, Jackson, LA 70748.

Charles Robert "Chase" Landry, 93, anativeof BruleSt. Vincent, Louisiana, and resident of Napoleonville,Louisiana passed away on August 26, 2025. Avisitationwillbeheld in his honoronSaturday, August 30, 2025 at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, Paincourtville, Louisiana from 8:30 am until the Mass of ChristianBurial at 11:00 am. The burial will follow in thechurch cemetery

He is survived by his wife, Diane Monaghan Landry; son, David Landry and wife Darlene; daughter, Denise Mitchelland husband Ralph;grandchildren,Aimee Sanchez, Hannah Mollere, Maggie Landry, Beau Sanchez, AbbieBenoit,Alexander Mitchell, Kaylie Mitchell, andTaylorClark;18greatgrandchildren; and one great-great-grandchildon theway

He was preceded in death by his daughters, Desiree L. Clark and Dolly L. Landry; parents, Rodolph Landry, Sr.and NoemieTempletLandry; brothers, Rodolph "Rudy" Landry, AllenLandry, Neil Landry, Arthur Landry, and JosephLandry; sisters,DoloresBurns, Vera Blanchard, TheresaAlleman, InezLandry, Margaret Landry, Mae Landry, MarilynL.Daigle; grandchild, DoriL.Allemand Online condolences can be givenatwww.landrysfu neralhome.com Landry's Funeral Home, Inc. is in chargeofarrangements.

Howell, RichardClay RichardClayHowell, a long-time resident of Jack‐son,LA, died August 23, 2025, at Oakwood Village Assisted Living,Zachary, LA. He wasbornJune 7, 1949, at BatonRouge,the oldestchild of James Richard Chambers Howell and OlaWales Howell. He graduated from Jackson HighSchool in 1968, and earned aB.A.fromLSU in IN LOVING MEMORY OF JohnHunter Miller Aug29, 1995 -Jul 17, 2022

at Hebron Baptist Church 24063 LA-16. Afuneral service will be held from12:00 PM to 1:00 PM on 2025-08-30 at Hebron Baptist Church,24063 LA-16.

Melancon, Walter

In Loving Memory of Walter"Merdock Doc" Melancon John 14:1-4 Do notlet yourheartsbetroubled. Alpha- 12/18/71 Omega8/19/25 Born Dec18, 1971, along with histwin sister,Wanda Melancon ReneautoWalter &Virginia Melancon,a lifelongresident of White Castle, LA. During his first union, he wasthe loving father of (5) biological children, Jabari Melancon,Jada Melancon, WalterMelancon III,WhitneyMelancon (Chicago, IL) &Jamilah Melancon(DenhamSprings, LA), (5) biological grandchildren. A devotedwife,Keisha Miller Melancon of WhiteCastle, LA, reared (4) extended children, Monica Miller, Stefan Miller, Brian Jones, Jasmine Miller,(11) extended grandchildren,siblings, Florida Melancon, Mary Melancon, &Alfred Melancon,(4) godchildren. Preceded in death by his parents, Walter& Virginia Melancon,Paternalgrandparents, Mary Camel Melancon,HenryDorsey Sr., &LeonMelancon Sr., Maternalgrandparents, HenryFlowers Sr.& Virginia AllenFlowers;brother,Matthew Street,niece, Precious Melancon, nephew,BrandonTatten PublicViewing: Friday, 8/ 29/2025 5-7pm Roscoe Mortuary, Plaquemine,LA. Memorial Service:Saturday, 8/30/2025, 10-11am @ CityofRefuge 32925 Bowie St,WhiteCastle, LA. Officiant:Pastor JamesNelson. The Familywould like to thank everyonefor their support during their time of sorrow

Roscoe

58635 Meriam Street Plaquemine 5-7PM. Visitation continues Saturday, August 30, 8AM untilFuneral Service at 10AM at Funeral Home. He is survived by his children, grandchildren andnumerous other relatives and friends. IntermentinGraceMemorial Park.

Thomas,83ofNew Orleans, LA Visitation August 30, 2025 from 9a.m. to 10:50 a.m. Funeral at 11:00 a.m. at theGreater Mt.Carmel Baptist Church 3721 N. ClaiborneAve.in NewOrleans.Burial in ProvidenceCemetery in Metairie,Louisiana. Arrangements

Williams,Kayla Lacy

KaylaLacyWilliams passedawayonMonday, August18, 2025, at Our Ladyofthe Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge,LA. Shewas 37, a nativeofNapoleonville,LA and aresidentofDarrow, LA. Visitation on Saturday August30, 2025, at Bright Morning Star Baptist Church,from9:00amfol‐lowed by amemorialser‐viceat11:00am.Arrange‐ments by Williams & SouthallFuneralHome, 5414 Hwy1,Napoleonville, LA70390. (985) 369-7231. To signthe guestbookor offercondolences,visit our website at www.william sandsouthallfuneralhome com.

Another year has passed John since you left us! We will always remember the smile you brought to the face of others and the joy you brought to our hearts. Although you would have been 30 on this day, you are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure. Dad, Mom, Jordyn, Adam, Erika, and Adler

Funerals

Bendily, Debra Elaine

Engemann, Mark 'Eugene'

Landry, Charles 'Chase'

Dornier, JoanClaire

OPINION

Communicationfor firstrespondersiscrucial

In late August 2005, our team at Acadian Ambulance was bracing for the unimaginable. Hurricane Katrina washeading toward Louisiana, and even with decades of disaster responseexperience, we knew this storm would test us in ways we’d never seen before. What followed was devastation on amassive scale. Lives were lost. Entire communities submerged. Critical infrastructure was wiped out. And for those of us tryingto respond, the disaster was made even worse by one of the greatest challengeswefaced: thebreakdown of communications.

Zuschlag

cases, we had to revert to handwritten notes and runners just to getinformation where it needed to go. We didour jobs the best we could,but there’sno question ourresponse was hindered by thelack of a reliable, uniﬁed communicationsnetwork. Today,wehave somethingwedidn’thave then. Today,wehaveFirstNet.

Our EMTs and paramedics were in the ﬁeld, workingaround the clock, but the systems we depended on to coordinatewith hospitals, emergency managers and other ﬁrst responders simply failed. Radio channelswere overwhelmed. Cell networks were overloaded. Coordination between agencies became chaotic. In some

FirstNet is the nation’s only wireless broadband network built speciﬁcally for ﬁrst responders. It was born out of the hard lessons of 9/11, Katrina and other major disasters, created to ensure that public safety agencies haveasecure, reliable way to stay connected, even in themost extreme circumstances.

At Acadian,wewere one of the ﬁrst EMS providers in the country to adoptFirstNet. We’ve seen ﬁrsthandthe difference it makes It gives our medics on theground thetools they need to transmit patient data while en route, coordinate across agencies in real

time and access priority coverage during major events,all without competing with the general public for bandwidth. Andit’smore than just amobile connection. FirstNet includes morethan 150 deployable network assets, including SatCOLTs,

Cell on Wings, Compact Rapid Deployables and even tethered drones and blimps, all designed to restore coverageinplaces where traditional infrastructure is knocked out. It’sexactlythe kind of system we wish we had 20 years ago.

AfterHurricane Katrina, BatonRouge steppedup

Former Mayor-President Kip Holden was in his first year of his first term in office when he watched Hurricane Katrina move into the Gulf. He activated the Emergency Operations Center and called to ask if Imight pitch in to help with what he felt would be an “all-hands-on-deck” moment forBaton Rouge.

Ihad managed his mayoral campaign, and we still talked dailyabout the excitingprogress he was making.

At the EOC, we anxiously watched as Katrina madelandfall in Louisiana. As damageswere being assessed, New Orleans’ levees began to fail, its pumpingsystem failed and 15 to 20 feet of water ﬂooded the city

airport, forweeks it remainedthe secondbusiest airport in the U.S. behind JFKInternational in NewYork. Policeworkeddouble shifts, spread thin to keep BatonRouge safe.A large cacheofweapons was collected at the River Center froma population that includeddisplaced mentally ill people who wentdays, then weeks, without their medication. An active caseof tuberculosis was found among those sheltered there.

But here’sthe thing: FirstNet isn’tguaranteed forever.Its Congressional authorization is set to expire, and unless Congress acts to reauthorize it, the future of this lifesaving network and the coordination it enables could be at risk.

As acompany built by medics, formedics, and rooted right here in Louisiana, we know what happens when first responders are cut off from one another.We’ve lived it. We’ve fought through it. And we never wanttogoback. Twenty years after Katrina, we have aresponsibility to the next generation of EMTs, firefighters, law enforcement officers and all those whostand on the front lines to makesure they never face the kind of silence we endured. Congress must act to reauthorize FirstNet and ensure that America’sfirst responders stay connected, prepared and protected when it matters most.

Blaise Zuschlagisanexecutive withAcadian Ambulance Service.

Hurricane’slegacywillbe lost if lessonsnot heeded

Twenty years ago, astorm made landfall that would devastate New Orleans, displace families and change lives forever.Hurricane Katrina would ultimately cost nearly 1,400 lives and cause $190 billion in damage.

Our first indication of how dire things would become came when Baton Rouge 911 operators began receiving calls from people stranded on New Orleans rooftops. We realized there must have beenmassive communication system failures for emergency calls to be coming from 80 miles away As New Orleans filled with water, Baton Rouge filled with evacuees. A steady stream of vehicleschokedall roads leading to the city.Rescue helicopters began droppingpeopleonthe tarmac at the Baton Rouge airport and taking off again. As approximately 250,000 people descendedonthe greater Baton Rouge area, complete gridlock set in. Hotels were full, homeswere full and the River Center,poorly equipped to serve as ashelter,was opened when buses arrived and droppedmoreand more evacuees. The day after Katrinamade landfall, Holdensent theBaton Rouge Fire Department’sUrban Search and Rescue teamtoNew Orleans, wheretheyrescued over 1,000 trapped residents. Grappling with the influx ofpeople to our city,which caused a35-40% increase in traffic on its streets, Holden was also working to get powerrestored to Baton Rouge residentsand managing the cleanup of more than 600 downed trees, which had made many streets impassable.

While New Orleans businesses were washed away,Baton Rouge businesses were paralyzed, with sales negatively impacted as aresultoftrafﬁc,supply chain interruptions and thelossofcustomers from the devastatedareas With constant relief and recovery ﬂights in and out of the BatonRouge

Rannah Gray GUEST COLUMNIST

The city was aticking time bomb

But Iwatched Holden grow in stature every day as he led with aﬁrm and steady hand. He dropped in at the River Center to let people who hadlost everything, some still searching for family members, know they were notalone. There werebirths, deaths and even acouple of weddings And as you would expect, the community cookedjambalaya for their receptions. It was aglimmerofhope for life to somedayreturn to normal.

Holden stoodupfour local governments —Orleans, Jefferson, St.Bernard and Plaquemines parishes —providing staff support and useofthe Metro Council chambers for their meetings. Thanks to Baton Rouge, theywereable to begin conducting business again.

In theﬁrst10days,Holden ﬂew back andforth to Washington, D.C., three timestotestify beforeCongress about thedire needs of Louisiana.

In time,Baton Rouge madegreat strides based on lessons learned. Voters overwhelmingly approved Holden’s proposed Green Light Plan to fund infrastructureimprovements. First responder communications systemsimproved, FEMA established asigniﬁcant long-term presenceinBaton Rouge and the city-parish launched its RedStick Readyinitiative, named anational best practice by FEMA, to educatethe public on disaster preparation and resilience. EastBaton Rouge Parishwas fortunate to have the leadership and vision of KipHolden,who was never afraid to make tough decisions and always stood up for the citizens he served. Behind his leadership, the entire Baton Rouge area offereda ray of hope to thoseexperiencing the worst naturaldisaster our nation had seen.

Rannah Gray is apublicrelations consultant in Baton Rouge.

Many remember the images of people huddled in theSuperdome and neighborhoods underwater.But theresponse to Katrina was more effective than the narrative would suggest, andwhere there were shortcomings,the lessons learned have spared countless lives over the past 20 years.

For any disaster,aneffective response requires three parts: preparation,response andrecovery,followed by mitigation.

many lives have been saved in the past 20 yearsthanks to the lessons learnedafter Katrina.Whatisclear,though, is howquickly those lessons have been forgotten in just the past 200 days. One third of alldisaster management professionals at FEMA are nowgone— allin the name of “efﬁciency.” Meteorologists at NOAA, seismologists at the USGS andscientists, analysts and otherofﬁcials have been discharged too. And we’re only beginning to feel the consequences.

Before Katrinahit,wehad advance warning thanks to NOAA and the National Weather Service. That enabled the WhiteHouse to issue apre-landfall declaration on Saturday and state and local ofﬁcials to issueanevacuation order before the storm came ashore.

The trouble was that the day prior,the Pentagon had still not received arequest from FEMA, which had not received arequestfor aid from the governor.When the storm madelandfall, it overwhelmed local and state governments. Federal intervention is essential in crises of this scale.

The response to Katrina was forceful and, in hindsight,was an amazing example of what happens when people come together Nearly 80% of the people ordered to evacuate did so. Volunteersstepped up to help neighborsand strangersalike. As far away as Houston,the local government and ordinarycitizens took in New Orleans residents forced to ﬂee theirhomes.

Still, there was more than could have been done. Thosewhoselives werelost were overwhelmingly poor —people whodidn’t have acar to leave town or acredit card to book alast-minute hotel room. Notenough residentshad contingency plans to leave with afriend or neighbor,and on the government side, not enough shelters wereset up to accommodate those whocouldn’tevacuate. After thestorm, new mitigation plans were created. Federal levees had to be rebuilt to withstandhigher storm surges due to global warming. FEMA’s size was doubled to ensure amore robustfederal response to future disasters. Ad hoc shelters were designated and regional warehouses foremergency supplies wereestablished, as were plans to rapidly disburse emergency funds to survivors. It’simpossible to state with certainty how

Historic rains in Texas caused ﬂoodsthatstole the lives of at least 136 people,including dozens of girls at Camp Mystic, along the Guadalupe River. Insteadofbeing prepared, FEMA was hamstrung by aDepartment of Homeland Security secretary more focusedoncutting costs than saving lives. Thousands of calls from survivors of the Texasﬂoodswentunanswered when the DHS failed to renewcontractstostaff callcenters.

All this undera DHS secretary who doesn’tbelieve FEMA needs to exist and apresident who thinks stateshave the resources to handle natural disasters on their own. Theydon’t We can’t afford to forget Katrina’slessons. Once-in-a-thousand-yearevents arehappening everyyear.In2024, Helene destroyed entire communitiesinWestern North Carolina afterforming in the hottest ocean waters on record. Meanwhile, western stateshave ﬁresthatengulf entire countieswhile the northeast gets downpours we usedtoonly seeinthe tropics.

In my home state of Louisiana, hurricanes can easily overwhelm local capacity to respond, as was the case for Laura andIda Congress andthe White House must prepare the nationfor natural and manmade disasters.

Tragedieslike the Texas ﬂood cannot become the norm, andAmericans should not be neglected as they were in Puerto Rico in the ﬁrst Trump administration.

ThatmeansFEMA must be adequately staffed andfundedtoperform its essential duties, including mitigation efforts. Elevating the head of FEMA to acabinet-level positionand extricating the agency from the DHS bureaucracy would be agreat place to start.

LTG. RusselL.Honoré (Ret.)isaformer commanding ofﬁcer of theU.S. First Army He ledJoint Task Force Katrina in New Orleans following thestorm.

Russel L. Honoré GUEST COLUMNIST

ISSUE OF THE WEEK EDUCATION AFTER KATRINA

YEARS

In the years following Hurricane Katrina, NewOrleans embarked upon one of the boldest experiments ever in American education: It turned its public schoolsovertocharter school operators whopromised better outcomes and programstailored to students’ needs.Theresults of thisexperimentare mixed.While graduation ratesand student scores are up, high-profile closures of failingcharter schools have periodically upended the educationalprogress of students.Andsomesay the elimination of neighborhood schools —especially those that traditionally served Black students—has hurt communities.What has NewOrleans learned from the remaking of its educational system and what mightother troubled school districts takefrom its experience? Here aretwo perspectives.

Reformstookthe schools away from thecommunities

On the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we believe that as two survivors of Katrina and current higher education students who left Louisiana to pursue education, it’simportant to help people understand what happenedtoour schools after the storm.

SchoolsinN.O.have advanced,sokeepitgoing

It was awholesale and hostile dismantling of Black andBrown cultural hubs.

It also became the prototypefor abroader Southern strategy.Before thelevees broke,New Orleans’ public schools were struggling under decades of underfunding and systemic inequities, buttheyremained rooted in our communities. Many were staffed by veteran Black educatorswho served generations of families. The schools were imperfect, yes, but they were also gathering places for shared identityand traditions and symbols of civic identity Afterthe disaster,within months, private charter operators, many withnoroots in the city,were brought intorun theschools While the language of “opportunity”and “innovation” ﬁlled pressconferences, in the school hallways, something essential wasmissing. There was lessjoy.Schools were stripped of their communal warmth and recast as efﬁciency-driven enterprises.

We experienced the “zero tolerance” atmosphere,with kids forced to stand in lines, only able to speak when spoken to and subject to strict uniform compliance from head to toe. We had no individuality and it felt likethe military.Before, schools had beenvibrant extensions of family life —places where our teachers knew ourparents, aunts, cousins. After the storm, those spaces felt more like isolation chambers. Even though proponents pointtogains in standardized test scores, those purported and modest gains came withheavycosts: the erosion of self-determination, widening inequities and the loss of cultural continuity.The deeper truth, as Katrina made painfully clear,isthat disaster can beused as cover for political and economic agendas rooted in systemic racism.

The conversion of New Orleans’ schools was not an isolated event.The NewOrleans model has been exported andreﬁned acrossthe South, deployed not only in disaster recovery but as astandard tool of education policy.Ofﬁcials in stateslike Tennessee, Mississippi andTexas have used therhetoric of “failing schools”and “accountability”tojustify stripping local

communities —often majority Black, Brown and lowincome— of control.

Ourexperiences in the post-Katrina school system offer urgent lessons, especially as climatechange increases the likelihood of future disastersdisrupting school systems. Privatizing schools does not help studentsafter adisaster.Instead, policymakers should prioritize addressing four key needs that will makethe mostimpact on studentwell-being and success, and help the wholecommunity recover

First, students need therapy and space to process loss. We grieved people, but we also grieved stability.Studentsmust be given space and support to workthrough trauma.

Second, we must restore normalcy by rapidly providing school supplies and wraparound services to reestablish daily routines and help young people get the care they need and regain asense of security

Third,weneed to invest in community programs. People —especially youth facingupheaval need to know they are not alone. Schools can be hubs for mutualaid andsharedresilience.

Fourth, therehas to be aplan for academic interventions. Lossoflearning time is inevitable after adisaster,but targeted programs can help studentscatch up withoutthe punitive measures we experienced. None ofthese priorities require dismantling public governance or inviting private operators to proﬁt off the crisis. They do, however,require sustained investment, patience and respect for thecommunities affected

Thelesson from Katrina is not that public schools are beyond improvement, nor that reform is unnecessary.Itisthat the path to improvement cannot bypassthe very people mostinvested in those schools. It’stimetotreat public schools as community pillars worth rebuilding. Otherwise, we’ll continue down theKatrina path,whereacrisis becomes apretext for erasinglocal voices and selling off one of our most vital public goods. Oneapproach strengthens democracy.The other hollows it out.

Kaprice

Danielsisajournalism student at Northwestern University. Jada Ceasar is alaw student at SouthTexas College of Law

Twenty years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated our city. Floodwaters rose, lives were lost and families werescattered. Nearly every public school building was damaged or destroyed. Butinthe face of unimaginable loss, New Orleanians showed the resilience that deﬁnes the city.We rolled up our sleeves and got to work, driven by adeep and abiding love for our childrenand our home. We rebuilt New Orleans, and we rebuilt our schools with determination, creativity and hope.

tion to college and career.These efforts don’tjust keep kids safe; they help them achieve and thrive.

Unfortunately,many of these programsare at risk due to federal budget cuts and uncertainty demanding greater state and local support. This is essential. If we wantour children to continue to grow academically,wemust invest in the things they need to thrive.

We’ve made undeniable progress. Graduation rates are up 25 percentage points, and college enrollment has climbed nearly 30 points. Nota single New Orleanspublic school holds an “F” rating today.Since the pandemic, our students have improved in reading and math at twice the rate of their peers statewide.

These gains didn’thappen by chance but were theresult of thehard work of our students and educators —even through their own grief, loss, displacementand healing.

As we mark 20 years since the storm, this progress is acall not only to reﬂect, but to act. Ourwork isn’tdone. If we want to meet the current moment, we must focus our support on thepeople at thecenter of our schools: our students and their teachers.

Supporting our students today means meetingtheir needs more fully,not just academically but physically and emotionally.Wehave some incredible models of this already.Partnerships like ThriveKids, Communities In Schools and the Children’sBureau of NewOrleans help support students coping with trauma.

New Orleans’ educators have built programstoserve diverse learners, such as Opportunities Academy’slifeskills programmingfor high schoolers with intellectual and developmental needs, ReNEW Schools’ TherapeuticDay Program for studentswith complex socioemotional and behavioral needs and Constellations at Crescent City Schools. We must fuel programs like these while investing in the next waveof solutions, like new high school models that offer more ﬂexibility,and support for key transitions like the movefrom eighth to ninth grade or from gradua-

Supporting our teachers means making New Orleans the best place in the country to teach. That begins with paying teachers like the professionals they are. No one serving our children should have to struggle to makeends meet Educators should be able to afford a home, raise afamily and build afuture in the city they serve. But compensation alone isn’tenough. Teachers also need the preparation and support to boost academic achievement. That includes training in the science of reading and other proven strategies to accelerate student learning forall students. When we invest in our teachers, we invest in better outcomes foryoung people. We also need to grow the next generation of educators. “Grow Your Own” programslike those at McDonogh 35, Warren Easton and KIPPNew Orleans give high school students an early path into the profession.

These young people bring deep love fortheir communities and asense of pride in giving back. We need to expand these efforts across the city,somore students see teaching as acalling and apowerful waytoshape the future of New Orleans.

Twenty years after the levees broke, our city’sschools are looking ahead. We’ve proven what’spossible when a city dares to believe in its children and invests in their future. Now we’re called to dream even bigger —toaccelerate progress, to imagine schools with the resources to meet students’ and teachers’ needs. Together,wewill create afuture where every child, in every neighborhood, is prepared to thrive. Let’srise to that challenge, together

Dana Peterson is the CEO of New Schoolsfor NewOrleans, an education advocacy organization.

KATRINA

Kaprice Daniels GUEST COLUMNIST

Jada Ceasar GUEST COLUMNIST

Dana Peterson GUEST COLUMNIST

STAFFFILE PHOTOBySOPHIAGERMER

School buses line up along St. Claude Avenue as KIPP Leadership Academy dismisses students for theday in NewOrleans on May15.

Something’scooking

BY REEDDARCEY Staff writer

Picture LSU defensive end Jack Pyburn —all 264 pounds ofhim —practicing pass-rush moves against his kitchen counter,his long, golden locks flowing behind him.

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

“Be whoyou are.”

That wasthe last message Southern coach Terrence Gravesleft with Trey Holly before the season opener against North Carolina Central on Saturday

The straightforward statement was one of the fewthoughts running through the mind of the former four-star recruit and LSU transfer as he steppedonto the CenterParcStadium ﬁeld in Atlanta

The 5-foot-7, 192-pound tailback paired that thought with his usualritual before his Southern debut.

Holding his Chucky doll.

Holly left the team bus with the doll tuckedunderhis left arm— alittle looser grip than how he tucks afootball with his right side —while nodding his head to the music playingthrough his headphones. It’s amatter of tradition. The redshirt sophomore hasbrought thedollwith him to football games dating back to his days at Union Parish High, where he started on varsity as an eighth grader and ﬁnished his career with aLouisiana high schoolrecord10,523careeryards rushing.

It was an odd, yetproductive, ritual. WhenPyburn transferred from Florida to LSU in December,hecouldn’tlet much time slipbywithout ﬁrstusing it to hone his pass-rushing skills The Tigers were planning to give him anew job.So, he got creative. By thetime spring practices rolled around, he hadbegun to see “massive improvements” in his game.

end now,” Pyburnsaid after LSU’spenultimate practice of preseason camp. “I think every single part of my game is going to be at an elite level this year.” His development is an importantpart of theTigers defense,which needs the pass rush to takeastep forward in its second season under defensive coordinator Blake Baker.Its top two edge rushers from 2024 moved on. Now the burden of

Six months later,those advancements are ready for game action. “I think I’m overall an elitedefensive

Haulcy will notplayﬁrsthalfatClemson

BY KOKI RILEY andREED DARCEY Staff writers

The NCAA has ruled that LSU seniorsafety A.J. Haulcy will not be eligible to play in the ﬁrst half of Saturday’sseasonopener against Clemson, LSU coach Brian Kelly confirmed on his radio show Thursday Haulcy was involved in aﬁght and ejected during his final gameatHouston last season. In theCougars’ last game against BYU, Haulcy fought with BYU wide receiver Darius Lassiter during the game’sfinal minutes.

“In the last game of the2024 season, A.J.Haulcy was ejected from the contest,initially listed as unsportsmanlike conduct,” the NCAA said in astatement to TheAdvocate,“butclariﬁed postgame thatgame officials ejected theplayerfor ﬁghting. Fighting carries an automatic carryoverpenalty.”

The NCAAtold The Advocate that Haulcy’s suspension cannot be appealed.

“Penalties do carry over to the following season and follow a playerwhen transferring,”the NCAA said. “There is no appeal process for collegefootball play-

ers ejected for ﬁghting.”

The NCAA also stated that the rules committeeand FBS commissioners discussedthis spring whether to uphold carryover suspensions and options into the following season. Both parties ultimately decided that it was best not to change therules.

“The clear direction to the football rulescommittee was that apenalty must be in place as adeterrent,” the NCAA said.

Kelly was 20 minutes late for his weekly radio show on Thursday because he was on the phone with SEC commissioner Greg

Sankey and the NCAA to discuss theruling.

Kelly noted that the NCAAhad “upheld” itsoriginalruling to suspend Haulcy forthe ﬁrst half of Saturday’sgame.

“It’sunfortunate,” Kelly said. “Wecan’t sit here andcomplain because thedecision’sbeen made, so let’s move on.”

Earlierinthe day, Kelly had told reporters minutes that the school was “waiting for clariﬁcation” on Haulcy’sstatus.

“Wewere informed on his situation on Wednesday,sowe’ll

ä See HAULCY, page 5C

Holly’spossessionofChucky before andduringgames might be hissuperstitionnowadays, but it still serves its original purpose. It’saconsistent reminder of whoheisand what he has to do on the football ﬁeld.

“I grew up watching Chucky.Ilike Chucky,” he saidwith alaugh in the postgame news conferenceSaturday. “But nah, seriously,Ilook at it like

Jeff Duncan

When people ask me what football meant to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Idon’ttell them. Ishow them. Idig into the file cabinet of my home office and dust off a binder from 2007. The black-andgold pamphlet titled “LouisianaThanks Louisiana’sTeam was the brainchild of Gov.Kathleen Blanco.Inthe wakeofKatrina and the Saints’ cathartic 2006 season, she asked fans to write personalthank-you notes to the team. Starting on themorning of the team’sfinal regular-season game Dec. 31, 2006,her staff collected messages from the governor’sofficial website and via outreach in schools andseniorhomes across the state. She called it the“Thanks the Saints Initiative.” Almost immediately,heartfelt testimonials began to pourin from all corners of theglobe— from New Brunswick, Canada,

and Maidstone, England, to Perth, Australia, and an aircraft carrier in the Paciﬁc Ocean. More than 1,000 people wrote, including noteworthy Louisianans such as Harry ConnickJr.,Cokie Roberts, Archie Manning, Lindy Boggs and Branford Marsalis.

The passionate responses read like teenage love letters. It was impossible to read them and not feel the emotionexpressedinthe words and sentences.

Officials compiled the messages into abound scrapbook anddistributed it to the public. Isaved mine and still reflect on it as a reminder of that magical time. The 140 pages are filledwith love devotionand gratitude. It’sanenduring testament to the rare symbiotic relationship with the team and the city and region.

“Thanks so much for an incredible season,” wrote Marsalis, expressing the sentiments of many Saints fans. “I’ve been there through thick and thin. And I’m loving thick!!!” Context is important here.You

need to understand howdifﬁcult lifewas in New Orleansafter HurricaneKatrina.Ifyou were here,you know.

The storm’stentacles reached into everyaspect of daily life. Whether your house had10feet of water or escaped unscathed, living in New Orleans or the surrounding region was an emotionally,mentally andphysically draining experience. Youdidn’tso much live as youendured.

Residents whosuffered the worst damage —those wholost homes, jobs and/or loved ones slogged through theirdaily nineto-ﬁves, then went home to clear debris or to tear outdrywall.

The basic civil services expected in modern America were sporadic or nonexistent. Trash pickup, electricity,sewer and water,and policeprotection operated with saddening inefﬁciency, or in some cases, notatall. Piles of debris remainedonthe curbs. Neutral grounds were uncut and

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU defensiveend JackPyburnruns throughadrill at aspring practice on April12atTiger Stadium.

quarterback DrewBrees autographs asignbefore agame against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 26, 2016, at the Superdome. Larry Rolling madethe sign for the Saints’ first home game following Hurricane Katrina in 2006.

On TV AUTO RACING

2:05 p.m. NASCAR Craftsman: Practice FS2

3:10

5p.m.

6p.m.

6p.m.Appalachian St.atCharlotteESPNU

6p.m. W. Michigan at Michigan St.FS1

6:30 p.m. W. Illinois at Illinois PEACOCK

7p.m. Georgia Tech at ColoradoESPN

7p.m. AuburnatBaylorFox

8:30 p.m. UNLV at Sam Houston St. CBSSN

6p.m. Kansas at WisconsinBTN

7p.m. Belmont at Vanderbilt SECN

8:30 p.m. Texas vs.Creighton BTN GOLF

2p.m. LPGA: FM Championship Golf MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

5:45 p.m. Atlanta at PhiladelphiaAPPLETV

6p.m. Seattle at Cleveland MLBN

9p.m.Arizona at L.A. DodgersMLBN

9:15 p.m.Baltimore at SanDiego APPLETV

MEN’S RUGBY

9:40 p.m.NRL: Wests at CanberraFS2 MEN’S SOCCER

1:55 p.m.Birmingham City at Leicester City CBSSN TENNIS

10:30 a.m.ATP/WTA: U.S. Open ESPN WNBA

6:30 p.m.DallasatAtlanta ION

9p.m.Indiana at Los Angeles ION

Parsons tradedtoPackers

Contract dispute leadstodefensive enddeparting Dallas

BY ROBMAADDI AP profootball writer

Micah Parsons is headed to the GreenBay Packersafter ablockbuster trade on Thursday,leaving the Dallas Cowboys following alengthy contract dispute.

The two-time All-Pro edge rusher conﬁrmed the deal in a text to The Associated Press. Aperson with knowledge of thedetails said Parsons and the Packers have agreed on arecord-setting $188 million, fouryear contract that includes $136 million guaranteed.

Parsons becomes thehighestpaid non-quarterbackinNFL history

“I never wanted this chapter to end, but not everything was in my control,” Parsons wrote in a statement he posted on X. “My heart has always beenhere, and still is. Through it all, Inever made any demands.

“I neveraskedfor anything more than fairness. Ionlyasked that the person Itrust to negotiate my contract be partofthe process.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones declined to discuss Parsons’ deal with agent David Mulugheta. Instead, Jones spoke directly to Parsons and insistedthey had agreed on the parameters of a new contract.

The Cowboys are receiving two ﬁrst-roundpicks and veterandefensive tackle Kenny Clark for Parsons, aperson withknowledge of the details told the AP The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams haven’treleased the terms

The 26-year-old Parsons has 521/2 sacks, recording at least12 in each of his four seasons while making the Pro Bowl each year Parsons provides ahuge boost forafranchise that has reached the playoffs ﬁve of the past six years but hasn’tmadeittothe NFL championship gamesince Aaron Rodgers led them to their fourth Super Bowl title 15 years ago. Parsons bolsters adefense that was inconsistent at getting to op-

posing quarterbacks last season, when the Packers went 11-7 and lost to Philadelphia in theNFC wild-cardround.The Packers had45sackslastseason to tie foreighthplace in theNFL, but more than half of thosesacks came in just four games.

In seven oftheir 17 games, the Packers had no more than one sack.

Green Bay ranked 16th in pressure rate, which calculates the number of hurries, knockdowns andsacks foreach team divided by an opponent’sdrop-back attempts.

Now,the Packers add one of thegame’s elite pass rushers while theCowboyslose their bestplayer because of apower struggle with Jones.

Even with Parsons, whomissed four games because of injury last season,Dallas ﬁnished28th

in defense and the team went 7-10. TheCowboys have ahealthy Dak Prescott returning but this is adevastating blow for thedefense.

The Packers haven’thad anyoneget 12 sacks in aseason since Za’Darius Smithhad 121/2 in 2020.

Packersgeneral manager Brian Gutekunstspoke Wednesday about the philosophy of takinga “big swing” to land asuperstar.

“I think everyopportunity that’sout there to help your football team, we’vealways taken a look at trytosee howitaffects us right now, howdoes it affect us in thefuture and make the best decision we can,” Gutekunst said. “Sometimes we’ve been right, sometimes we’rewrong. Sometimes we’ve taken risks that really worked outfor us. Sometimes it didn’t.

“Sometimes we didn’ttake risks, andwelook back and wish we would have and sometimes, you know,as(former general manager) Ted(Thompson) used to say, you know,God helps those that can’t help themselvesalittle bitsometimes. So sometimes the best dealsyou make are the ones you don’t, you know.And so you just kind of,Ithink youweigh everything, and you weigh what is in the momentand what is in the future as well.”

The Packers, who once signed Reggie White in free agency, just took their biggest swing in decades.

Whitehelped aGreen Bay team led by Brett Favre wina Super Bowl andreach anotheron hisway to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

AP Sports WriterSteve Megargee contributed to this report.

Osakabounces back with newcoach

BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis writer

NEW YORK

Naomi Osaka is back in the third roundofthe U.S. Open for the ﬁrst time since2021, the year after she won her second championship at Flushing Meadows She’splaying rather well at the moment,too,under theguidance of anew coach. Justdon’t expect Osaka to weigh in on whether she feels as if she is ready to makeanother deep run at the place.

“Honestly,Idon’treally know.I don’tmake it my business to know anymore. Ikind of just leave it up in the air,” the 23rd-seeded Osaka said after eliminating Hailey Baptiste 6-3, 6-1 in the second round in just 70 minutes Thursday.“For me, Irealize that I’ve doneeverything that Icould. I’ve trained really hard. Ipracticedreally hard. If it happens, it happens.”

Osaka’sfour Grand Slam trophies all arrivedonhardcourts: two at the U.S. Open, two at the Australian Open. Since her 2020 title in New York, her trips there have gone this way: losses in the third round in 2021, ﬁrst round in 2022, second round last year

The surface tends to favor the big serves and powerful,firststrike tennis Osaka is best known for, andsomethingshe displayed against Baptiste, of course, although she also demonstrated a willingness to vary speeds and spins. The other talent Osaka is using

to great effect so far this week is returning that gets an opponent on thedefensive. Osaka already has won 11 ofthe 18 return games she’splayed so far,including duringa 6-3, 6-4 win over Greet Minneninthe ﬁrst round.

After her third-round exit at Wimbledonlastmonth,Osaka split from coach Patrick Mouratoglouand began working with Tomasz Wiktorowski, who used to be part ofIga Swiatek’steam.

One key,Osaka said: Wiktorowskihas encouragedher to focus more on theplacement of her shots “andnot necessarily going for winners most of thetime.”

They appear to be making quick progress— andOsaka said her impressionofhim changed quickly

“Honestly,Ididn’tknow him, Ithought he was very scary,becausehe’sverytall andhedidn’t smile,” she said. “Now thatwe’re working together,I see that he smiles often. He has avery friendly smile, and it’svery nice. That’s my little funfact about Tomasz.”

Otherevents

Wimbledonchampions Swiatek and Jannik Sinner both won —his victory was muchmore straightforward than hers.

Swiatekhad some trouble before getting past Suzan Lamens, aDutch playerranked 66thwho’d never appeared ataGrand Slam tournament until thisyear,bya

RangersSSSeager placed on IL after appendectomy

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager had an appendectomyon Thursdayafterexperiencingabdominal pain during agame the previous night.

Chris Young, the team’s president of baseball operations, said Seager hadsurgery in Texasafter the team had traveled to California for the start of aseries against the Athletics on Friday night. Young said it was too early to knowhow muchtime the two-time World Series MVP will miss.

Seager will be placedonthe 10day injured list and the Rangers will calluputility playerDylan Moore, who had just been signed to aminor league contract after being released by AL West rival Seattle. Center ﬁelder Evan Carter is going to be transferredtothe 60-dayIL to make room on the 40-man roster

Guardians release Santana, ending histhird tenure

Carlos Santana’sthird stint with the Cleveland Guardians has come to an end. The Guardians announced Thursday that they have released the longtimeﬁrst baseman, making the39-year-old veteran available on the open market forteams looking to add aveteran bat to their lineup.

Santana signedaone-year deal in December and has appeared in 116 games for Cleveland this season. He hit 11 home runs with 52 RBIs, while logging a.225 batting average, .316 on-base percentage and .333 slugging percentage. He’splayed 11 of his 16 seasons with the Guardians, including each of hisﬁrst eight. He’salsoplayed forKansasCity,Philadelphia,Minnesota,Pittsburgh, Seattle and Milwaukee.

Venus Williamswins doubles match at U.S. Open

Venus Williams wonawomen’s doubles match at theU.S.Open for the ﬁrst time in more than a decade —and this timewithout hersister, Serena —teaming with LeylahFernandezonThursday to defeat the sixth-seeded pair of Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez 7-6(4),6-3

She hadn’twon awomen’sdoublesmatch in New York since 2014, when she and Serena made it to the quarterﬁnals, or at any Grand Slam tournament since the 2018 FrenchOpen.

The last of the sisters’ 14 major championships in women’sdoublescame at Wimbledon in 2016.

The older Williams also has wonseven GrandSlamtitles in singles, andanother two in mixed doubles.

Dolphins wide receiver Hill on trackfor Week 1opener

Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill returned to practice Thursday and is on track to play in Miami’sWeek 1openeragainstthe Indianapolis Colts, coach Mike McDaniel said. Hill practiced in alimited capacity after being sidelined the past severalweekswith an oblique injury McDaniel said the team had been cautious with Hill to makesure he doesn’taggravate the injury ahead of the season. He had 81 receptions and 959 yards with six receiving touchdowns as he played through a wrist injury in 2024.

The Dolphins will be without second-year running back Jaylen Wright to start the season. McDaniel said Wright had a“small procedure”thatisnot expected to be season-ending but will require time.

PackersQBexpects thumb brace for season start

Green Bay Packersquarterback Jordan Love says he expects to wear abrace on his surgically repaired leftthumbatthe start of the season. Loveunderwentsurgery on the thumbonhis non-throwing hand more than two weeks ago. Love wasa limitedparticipant last week for the Packers’ ﬁnal trainingcamp workouts, but he’s been practicing more fully this week and plans to play in Green Bay’s Sept. 7season opener against the Detroit Lions. One change is thatLovehas been handing off exclusively with his right hand.

Love said that’s“not as big of a deal as Ithink youguys think it might be.” Love says he otherwise doesn’texpect the thumb to impact him

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GARETH PATTERSON

DallasCowboys defensiveend Micah Parsons walks onto the field after apreseasongame against the BaltimoreRavens on Aug. 16 in Arlington, Texas.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By yUKI IWAMURA NaomiOsaka, of Japan, reacts after scoring apoint against Hailey

of the United States, during the second round of the U.S. Open

Explosive U-High takes down Dunham at Red Stick

Baton Rouge area jamborees

stalled out.

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

University High used the first play of the game to make a splash in their jamboree matchup against Dunham.

Senior quarterback Ethan McGlynn dropped back and found an open Lawson Dixon down the ﬁeld. The senior receiver shook past one cornerback and darted down the field for an 80-yard touchdown just seconds into the matchup.

University High defeated Dunham 27-12 in the Red Stick Rumble jamboree at Parkview Baptist High School stadium Thursday night. The jamboree consisted of two 12-minute halves

The Cubs used physicality to keep Dunham and highlytouted junior quarterback Elijah Haven quiet for most of the evening.

“I thought we were pretty physical up front,” U-High head coach Andy Martin said “That’s what we’ve been doing the last couple of games, and the jamboree.”

Despite the win, Martin said penalties early in the game stalled drives where U-High could’ve made it a 21-0 game early Instead, the Cubs settled for two ﬁeld goals after their opening touchdown. Despite the penalties, Martin was proud of the way his team performed.

The Tigers offense failed to find a groove in the first half with the first two drives ending in threeand-outs after the Cubs’ defense continued to break into the backfield and put pressure on Haven On the Cubs’ second drive, their skill positions continued to flash.

SOUTHERN

Continued from page 1C

Chucky, you know, he’s little, I’m little. He go out and kill, and that’s what I got to do. People look at me as (if) I’m undersized, so just go out and show‘em That’s my motivation.”

The undersized college running back showed what he is capable of after ﬁnishing his Southern debut with 10 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown in a 31-14 loss to North Carolina Central. Holly’s shining highlight was an 80-yard rushing touchdown in the ﬁrst half. He showed excellent vision at the line of scrimmage, wrestled out of an ankle tackle and raced to the end zone.

Senior running back Sage Ingram ripped off a 20-yard run on the ﬁrst play of the drive.

After a sack and a holding penalty, McGlynn dumped it off to Lawson for a 20-yard gain to make it 3rd-and-6. McGlynn later found Ingram for a 10 yards and a ﬁrst down.

“They had a great game,” Martin said about his running back duo of Ingram and junior Corbin Odell.

“Our running backs run the ball hard.”

The drive stalled and ended in a ﬁeld goal to make it 10-0 midway through the first half. The Cubs went up 13-0 after another field goal. Ingram and Odell split carries on the third drive and continued to gash the defense to get inside the red zone before the drive

SOUTHERN BUS TRIP PLANNED

The Blue and Gold Fan Club is sponsoring a bus trip to Itta Bena, Mississippi, on Saturday.The cost is $140 per person, which includes game ticket and refreshments. For more information, contact Craig Pierre at (225) 324 7234

Toyloy Brown III

“I think we have an explosive backﬁeld, probably one of the most explosive backﬁelds in the conference,” said quarterback Cam’Ron McCoy, who had a 69-yard rushing touchdown of his own.

Graves said the long-distance carries were a welcome sight as he

Haven found a rhythm on the Tigers’ third drive of the half. He went 3-for-5 passing the ball for 53 yards, leading Dunham down the ﬁeld on a two-minute drill. The Tigers faced third-and-2 at the Cubs’ 34-yard line late in the half when Cubs senior defensive lineman Bradley Goodson caught up to Haven on a quarterback run to tackle him for no gain.

Dunham went for it on fourthand-down to close out the ﬁrst half, but Haven’s pass went just past the outstretched arms of a Dunham receiver

The Tigers’ offense finally got going in the second half. After relying heavily on the run game to move down the field Haven dropped back to the Cubs’ 25-yard line. He evaded an oncoming Cubs rusher, tucked the ball, and ran it in for a touchdown to put Dunham on the board. Haven would later toss a 16-yard touchdown to senior receiver Jarvis Washington.

U-High senior lineman Lamar Brown impacted the game by blocking both extra points after each Dunham score.

Special teams was a bright spot for the Cubs. Along with Brown’s blocked kicks, junior Emmanuel Moses returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Later in the game, the Cubs converted a fourth down on a fake punt run that helped lead to a 1-yard Odell rushing touchdown to make it 27-6.

“We talk about (special teams) all the time,” Martin said. “We want to be good at it. I think the guys executed that part very well.”

hinted throughout the preseason that the Jaguars had seen more explosive plays in 11-on-11 periods.

The second-year coach knows how excellent Holly’s talent is and couldn’t care less about his size.

He’s not unfamiliar with having players who aren’t the usual physical proﬁle for their position. Last season, Southern started defensive tackle Willie Miles, who was listed at 5-9 and 350 pounds.

Graves supports his new running back’s connection to Chucky as well as his respect for other running backs 5-8 and shorter

“Motivation comes in many ways and if Chucky motivates him, so be it,” Graves said. “His favorite running back is Barry Sanders, go ﬁgure. So, you know, we constantly argue about who’s

Talent permeates through tough District 4-5A

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

Central is the reigning state champions, but coach David Simoneaux knows his Wildcats can’t rest on their title too long with a competitive district slate ahead.

Simoneaux said the team’s first state title since 1966 reminds his team it is going to get other teams’ best each week in District 4-5A, which is ﬁlled with talent.

“That puts a bigger target on our back,” Simoneaux said. “Going to make sure that everybody gets our best shot.”

After a 13-1 record last year, the Wildcats are looking to replace seven key players on the defensive side of the ball, but Simoneaux believes in the mental toughness and maturity his side has shown during the offseason.

Despite the losses on defense, players such as junior safeties Marvin Joseph and Camden Rankin, senior middle linebacker Jake Jarreau, junior corner Mason Moore and Houston commitment and senior defensive end Scott Smith are back for the Wildcats. On the offensive side, the quarterback position will be manned by juniors Jacori Platt and Max Gassiott after both have impressed during the offseason. Regardless of which quarterback is on the field, juniors Keithon Womack and Brody Diel should provide explosive plays at receiver.

Simoneaux said Diel took the ﬁrst pass he caught for a 70-yard touchdown in the team’s scrimmage against Madison Prep. Womack also is looking more athletic than ever entering his junior season.

“Keithon has just had a phenomenal career for us,” Simoneaux said. “I think he’ll really have a breakout year Such a great leader and such a great kid.”

Other schools in the district are taking aim at Central.

Reigning district champion Catholic returns four seniors from a team that ﬁnished 11-1 last season. Third-year coach Hudson Fuller is conﬁdent in the culture his seniors and team have cultivated.

The Bears are led by Ohio State commitment and senior safety Blaine Bradford He is part of the core four Fuller hopes will lead his team, along with linebackers Max Maurer, Harrison Kidder and Stanford commitment and offensive lineman Blaise Thomassie.

“Those are guys that have played a lot of football for us and are really good football players,” Fuller said. “But they’re also incredible leaders and people.”

Fuller said the running back room, led by four-star junior

the best running back ever and he’s gonna say Barry Sanders. If I bring him in here now, you know, he’ll ask all of y’all, he’s gonna say Barry Sanders, and I’m gonna say somebody big, like Bo Jackson or Derrick Henry.”

Those kind of debates along with the playing opportunity are part of what has made Holly appreciate his short time t Southern.

He joined the Jaguars after being suspended at LSU for more than a year because of his alleged involvement in a February 2024 shooting. He claimed his innocence on social media and his attorney, Mike Small, said Holly would plead not guilty as he currently faces one felony count of illegal use of a weapon or dangerous instrumentality

Before Holly was asked ques-

Jayden Miles, and the secondary are two standout groups. What he’s liked the most about his squad is the consistency it brings to each practice.

Fuller believes his team can build off of last season after falling in the semiﬁnals to Edna Karr, but he knows it will be competitive going up against a district full of talent.

“Every week, we’ve got to bring our best,” he said. “Anything less is not going to get it done against the competition that we play.”

Zachary ﬁnished 7-4 last season but looks to be right there with Central and Catholic. Led by UL commitment and wide receiver Kristion Brooks, coach David Brewerton is excited for what his team can accomplish heading into his 12th season.

The Broncos return eight starters on defense. Zachary will have a new quarterback, so it will rely on the defense, Brewerton said.

Outside linebackers Dylan Shelmire and Isaiah Stokes are two veteran players on the defense. Shelmire is committed to Southeastern Louisiana.

“The linebacker corps as a whole will be the main part of our defense,” Brewerton said. “As they play, our defense will play.”

Liberty Scotlandville and Woodlawn all have first-year head coaches. Jimmy Zachery will lead Liberty; Richard Oliver takes over at Scotlandville; and Tramon Douglas has taken over at Woodlawn.

Each week will present a new challenge in District 4-5A.

“There are some really quality programs in our district,” Brewerton said. “When you’re able to win this district, you can deﬁnitely hang your hat on that.”

tions after the season-opening loss, he gave an opening statement. Before talking about the game, he thanked the coach he sat beside. “First of all, I just want to give thanks to God, because without him, I wouldn’t be in this position,” Holly said. “Second, I want to shout out coach Graves for allowing me to be a part of this football team when he didn’t even have to.” Graves and the rest of the coaching staff understood how much Holly could affect the game and are looking forward to what else he has in store.

“I’m proud of him,” Graves said. “I’m proud to see his perseverance, his attitude. I’m happy for him.”

Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy.brown@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

U-High defensive lineman Lamar Brown celebrates after blocking the extra point against Dunham in the Redstick Rumble Jamboree on Thursday at Parkview Baptist High School in Baton Rouge.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Central defensive back Marvin Joseph powers into the end zone for a touchdown against West Ouachita in a Division I nonselect regional game on Nov. 22. The Wildcats are looking to repeat as state champions this season.

Moore explains why Hill hangs with quarterbacks

Throughout the offseason for the New Orleans Saints, there have been numerous mentions of Taysom Hill participating in meetings with the quarterbacks.

That’s not necessarily out of the ordinary considering how the do-it-all Hill floated from room to room under previous coaching staffs. But coach Kellen Moore decides where he wants Hill to be, even as the 35-year-old recovers from a serious knee injury

So does Moore see Hill primarily as a quarterback?

Not exactly

“Taysom is obviously one of one in this league,” Moore said.

“He plays a lot of positions, and he spends most of his time in the quarterback room just because the quarterback room is the room that talks about all aspects of football. That’s where he’s spent most of his career in, and so he just plays a lot of different roles and different styles.”

Moore said offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien and senior offensive assistant Scott Linehan help “connect all the dots” for Hill in this new offense.

Hill’s presence does not mean the former quarterback will compete with Spencer Rattler and the rest of the quarterbacks when healthy, Moore said.

“Taysom’s done an awesome job and he’s got his role,” Moore said “We’ll build as we go. We’ll see if he (becomes) available on the field. We’re all excited for that,

Continued from page 1C

overgrown with weeds.

The city’s health care and public transit systems were crippled Nearly a year after the storm, only half of the hospitals in Orleans Parish had opened and there was a shortage of doctors, ambulances and hospital beds, creating nightmarish situations for the sick and injured and their loved ones.

Getting around was difﬁcult. Many of the city’s streetlights were non-operational, making for harrowing, herky-jerky commutes through a maddening maze of four-way stops. Only 17% of the Regional Transit Authority’s buses were running, and 49% of its public transportation routes were open. Everything, even mundane errands, was hard. Dry cleaners required a week’s turnaround time, and car repairs could take even longer Banks constricted their hours, making for longer lines at the counter and drive-thru lanes.

Lines at the few fast-food restaurants that were open often snaked around the block.

“The last 16 months have been hell, rebuilding our home,” wrote William Poche of Metairie. “This

but there’s a process to this when you’re coming off an injury like his.”

After tearing his ACL in December, Hill has yet to practice and was placed on the league’s physically unable to perform list — meaning he’ll miss at least the

ﬁrst four games of the season.

Whirlwind week

This week served as a reminder to Asim Richards about how fast things can change in the NFL.

When the week started, he was competing for a roster spot with the Dallas Cowboys. Then on Tuesday, the Saints traded for him to shore up their offensive line depth, swapping future late-round draft picks with the Cowboys.

It’s safe to say the move was unexpected: Richards just had purchased a house in the Dallas area.

“It’s ﬁne; I can go back in the offseason,” Richards said. “I’m really, really excited for this opportunity to get on the ﬁeld.”

Richards said he got the call early Tuesday morning. New Orleans gave him two flight options, one leaving in the late afternoon and one leaving in the early evening.

He took the 6 p.m. option to New Orleans.

“I’m like, I need some more time to pack,” Richards said. “... I’m living out of a suitcase right now, but

I’ll try to ﬁnd a place soon.”

Richards is ﬁlling a crucial role for New Orleans, which lost veteran tackle Landon Young for the season to an ankle injury in the preseason

ﬁnale. Young had been serving as the primary backup at both tackle positions, as well as offering some depth on the interior

In Richards, the Saints acquired

a young player he turns 25 in October — who has primarily played tackle in the NFL, but he also has some experience at both guard spots.

“We feel like we got a really good developmental piece that, if called upon, he’s ready to roll and ready to go play and contribute,” Moore said.

Penning update

Trevor Penning is out of a walking boot as he looks to recover from the turf toe injury that has sidelined him since the Aug. 10 preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. Moore gave the update on Penning’s injury before Thursday’s practice, telling reporters that the offensive lineman was progressing well in his rehab. He still was noncommittal about whether Penning would be available for the Sept 7 season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.

“We’ll see about the Week 1 thing,” Moore said. “We’ve got a few days off this weekend, and we’ll see what kind of timeline presents itself for some of these (injured) guys. He’s done an awesome job.”

Penning reportedly was given a timeline of 4-6 weeks. The season opener against the Cardinals would be four weeks since the injury

Dillon Radunz has ﬁlled in for Penning at left guard during his absence. The Saints moved Penning from right tackle to guard this offseason, believing the switch inside would better suit his strengths.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

“Most New Orleanians just wanted to regain their way of life, and that was going to Jazz Fest, going to Mardi Gras, going to the Superdome every Sunday. They wanted to recapture what they’d lost.”

DOUG THORNTON, led renovation of the Superdome

magical season has lifted our spirits and hopes.”

“We lost everything in the storm and we’re still in a FEMA trailer, but come game day we don our Saints gear and pack up the small barbecue pit we use to cook our dinners for weeks after the storm and head to the Superdome early to tailgate and get ready for what has become one of the few things we can all get excited about,” Todd from Terrytown wrote in the pamphlet. “God bless you boys! Without you, I do not know how my family and I could have made it through the year as we have.”

Added Phyllis A. Stevens of New Orleans: “Thank you, boys, for giving us something positive in our lives. Thank you for giving us faith in ourselves and the rebirth of our city.”

In those grim, harrowing days, there were serious doubts New Orleans would ever recover New Orleanians longed for their cherished cultural traditions and institutions. They bought ﬂeur de lis merchandise like it was going out of stock and seized upon any

Veteran Wilkinson may replace McGary as starting right tackle for Falcons

BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

FLOWERY BRANCH,Ga The Atlanta Falcons are still adjusting to the jarring loss of right tackle Kaleb McGary for the season to a lower left leg injury that could hurt the team’s running game while also complicating pass protection for left-handed quarterback Michael Penix Jr Coach Raheem Morris said before Thursday’s practice that players who practiced through training camp and played in the preseason, including veteran Elijah Wilkinson, are leading the competition to replace McGary in next week’s opening game against Tampa Bay When asked after Thursday’s practice if he’s the ﬁrst choice to replace McGary, Wilkinson said, “That’s the way it looks to me. That’s the way we’ve been working in practice.”

Michael Jerrell, acquired from Seattle on Tuesday, provides an option at right tackle but would have difﬁculty moving ahead of Wilkinson in just one week.

The Falcons signed tackles Ryan Hayes and Carter Warren to their practice squad on Thursday Morris said the staff also discussed moving starting left guard Matthew Bergeron to right tackle, a scenario that could create an opportunity for Kyle Hinton or Wilkinson at guard.

Another tackle, Storm Norton, was placed on injured reserve/ designated to return with an ankle injury on Tuesday Rookie Jack Nelson is another option at tackle. While protecting Penix is a priority in his ﬁrst full season as the starting quarterback, the loss of McGary could be a bigger blow to the line’s ability to open lanes for running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier The Falcons’ running game flourished with running to the right side behind McGary and right guard Chris Lindstrom. Morris said McGary’s injury is “a huge thing” for the running game.

“That’s more of what McGary does,” said Morris when comparing McGary’s strength as a run blocker to the issue of protecting Penix’s blind side. “That’s more of our strength. We run the ball signiﬁcantly better to the right side because of guys like McGary and Lindstrom.” Offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford said, “I like what we’ve seen of Elijah there as an option for us” at right tackle and said the staff is still considering three or four options.

“I know that we’ve been handled some circumstances that you wish you didn’t have, but hey, it is what it is,” Ledford said. “Let’s see how well this group can handle them.”

Wilkinson, 30 is in his ninth season and has played both tackle and guard with Denver, Chicago and Atlanta.

He has 45 starts.

McGary was carted off the practice ﬁeld with the injury on Aug. 20 and was placed on injured reserve as the team set its initial 53-man roster, ending his season. Also Thursday the Falcons placed edge rusher Bralen Trice on injured reserve and re-signed safety Jordan Fuller to their active roster Morris said Trice has a “recurring” knee injury that forced him to miss his 2024 rookie season and is facing possible surgery Fuller started 48 games in four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.

Morris announced two rookies safety Xavier Watts and nickel back Billy Bowman Jr — have earned starting jobs in the secondary

Even with Watts beating out Fuller at free safety, Morris said he celebrated having Fuller back on the active roster after the veteran was released to set the initial 53-man roster Watts and Bowman join edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., both ﬁrst-round picks, to give Atlanta four rookies who are expected to start or play key roles on defense.

rare connection the Saints had with the community He knew the Dome-coming game — the Saints’ home opener on Sept. 25, 2006, against the Atlanta Falcons — would be special. He wanted his team to be prepared for the moment.

reminder of the New Orleans they knew and loved. Mardi Gras. Jazz Fest. Commander’s Palace. The Times-Picayune. Angelo Brocato’s Ice Cream and Pastry Shop. Saints football, of course, was one of those cherished traditions.

“Most New Orleanians just wanted to regain their way of life, and that was going to Jazz Fest, going to Mardi Gras, going to the Superdome every Sunday,” said Doug Thornton, who spearheaded the renovation of the Superdome.

“They wanted to recapture what they’d lost.”

Amid this grim, fearful existence, football emerged as an escape, a salve for New Orleanians’ wounded psyches and spirits. Debbie LaMarca of New Orleans nailed it when she wrote, “Coach (Sean) Payton saw a destroyed city and knew that a winning football team could bring hope for our future and smiles to our weary faces.” Payton had been in New Orleans for only a few months, but he quickly learned to appreciate the

So after the team’s practice at the Superdome on the Friday night before the big game, Payton introduced Thornton and two of his Superdome colleagues to the players and coaches to recognize their Herculean efforts in rebuilding the Superdome. He then dimmed the lights in the Dome and played a special video to set the tone. The montage showed powerful images of Hurricane Katrina and personal messages from fans, many of them storm victims.

“It was coach Payton letting us know before we played that it’s not just another prime-time Monday night game against your hated rival,” linebacker Scott Shanle said. “This was for something so much more. We have an opportunity to help people in more ways than just playing a football game.”

Added Payton: “Everyone that ended up on that team that year ended up in something much bigger than we ever expected — like, much bigger.”

The Saints, of course, crushed

the Falcons that Monday night, and the rest of the season was a magic carpet ride. The national narrative focused on how the Saints lifted the city And initially that storyline was true. But as the season wore on and crowds mobbed the airport to welcome the Saints home from road games, and neighbors displayed handmade signs and dropped off cookies outside Drew Brees’ home — the relationship evolved into something much more symbiotic.

“The New Orleans Saints needed our community, and the community needed the New Orleans Saints,” Brees said. “It was a match made in heaven that way.” There weren’t many good things born from Hurricane Katrina. But the renewed vows it produced between the Saints and New Orleans certainly was one of them.

Football always has been important here. Along with crawﬁsh, Mardi Gras and hunting, football is one of our four seasons. Throughout the fall, it dominates our thoughts, discourse and social calendars.

But football was never more important than it was after Katrina. I have a book of love letters to prove it.

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@ theadvocate.com.

MATTHEW PARAS and LUKE JOHNSON Staff writers

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BRyNN ANDERSON Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Elijah Wilkinson runs drills during a practice with the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 12 in Flowery Branch, Ga.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints coach Kellen Moore, left and tight end Taysom Hill chat during training camp on July 28 at the team’s practice facility in Metairie.

Near ﬁring helped shape

Swinney’s

Clemson run

BY STEVE REED AP sports writer

CLEMSON, S.C. — Dabo Swinney appears destined for the College Football Hall of Fame.

He has won eight ACC championships in the last 10 years and two national championships, and now his fourth-ranked Clemson Tigers look poised for another run at glory as they kick off the 2025 season Saturday night at home against No. 9 LSU.

Swinney is first to admit it’s been one heck of a ride, and he’s been “blessed” beyond words.

But it wasn’t all trophies and celebrations for the Birmingham, Alabama, native when he took over the Tigers 17 years ago as an interim head coach.

There were tense moments for Swinney early on, none more so than in the moments after the Tigers’ lopsided 29-7 defeat to in-state rival South Carolina in November 2010 in front of more than 81,000 mostly dejected fans at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium.

The loss dropped the Tigers to 6-6 in the regular season and Swinney to 19-14 since taking over as head coach.

As he emerged that day from his news conference, Swinney found his wife, Kathleen, in tears in the hallway

“I walk out and she’s crying, and I just thought she was just sad, you know, that she feels bad for me,” Swinney said.

He gave her a hug and assured her everything was going to be all right.

That’s when she looked at him in the eyes and told him that Terry Don Phillips, the Clemson athletic director at the time, was waiting to see him in his ofﬁce.

“Oh,” is the only thing Swinney could muster, and the tension in his body mounted.

“I mean, I think I’m getting ﬁred and my wife thinks I’m getting ﬁred,” Swinney said.

Knocked back by the news, Swinney took a few minutes to gather his thoughts before reminding himself that “God’s got me.” He walked down the hallway to ﬁnd the door cracked open. He peered inside and found Phillips sitting on the couch. So this is how it ends, Swinney thought to himself.

He entered the room, but the pink slip never came. Instead, he was surprised when Phillips offered his unconditional support.

“I go from thinking I’m getting ﬁred to Terry Don Phillips telling me how much he believes in me,” Swinney said. “He said to me, ‘Hey, there’s going to be a

LSU

Continued from page 1C

pressuring Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC) falls on the shoulders of two new ﬁrst-team defensive ends: Pyburn and sophomore Gabe Reliford.

“Our goal is just to wreak havoc,” linebacker Whit Weeks said Tuesday Under Baker, LSU shoots for a high havoc rate a team’s percentage of defensive plays that end in a sack, tackle for loss, forced fumble, interception or pass breakup The Tigers improved in three of those ﬁve areas last season. By the end of the year, they had registered ﬁve more pass breakups seven more forced fumbles and three more sacks in 2024 than they did in 2023. Can Pyburn help LSU bump that rate higher?

The numbers he posted as part of a breakout junior season at Florida four tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble suggest he hasn’t wreaked much havoc in his career

But Pyburn insists he’s not just a run defender The Gators primarily used a front of three down linemen in the ﬁrst three years of his career, he said. That gave him chances to ﬁll inside gaps and stuff runs, but not too many opportunities to bend around the edge, collapse the pocket and drop opposing quarterbacks So he hit the transfer portal “It’s just not exactly what I wanted to do for my skillset,” Pyburn said. “I think I can do everything, but I feel like I was best utilized to be coming hard off the edge and playing aggressive, playing fast, using my physicality my speed and letting it be my advantage.”

lot of criticism and there’s going to be a lot of this and that, (but) I want you to keep doing what you’re doing. I want you to know that I’ve got your back. I believe in you more now than even when I hired you.’ “

With that, Phillips got up from the couch and prepared to walk out of his ofﬁce before turning back to Swinney and saying, “and if it doesn’t work you can come help me pack and I’ll come help you pack.”

Phillips hugged Swinney on his way out.

“Terry Don Phillips is not a man of a lot of words, but he had a lot of conviction in his words and he meant what he said,” Swinney said.

Swinney sat in stunned silence for a few minutes before his wife walked into his ofﬁce, worried about her husband’s job security

“I told her I didn’t get ﬁred, and she’s like, ‘What?’ ” Swinney said.

Tim Bourret, who was Clemson’s sports information director, witnessed the event unfolding. He said it was a tense time given the way the regular season had ended But he felt that Swinney had earned some slack from Phillips by leading the Tigers to the ACC championship game in 2009 before losing to Georgia Tech.

“Terry Don just had a sixth sense about Dabo and his ability to lead the program,” Bourret said. “I didn’t think he was going to get ﬁred, but then again I had been around long enough to know that people make decisions based off what happens against South Carolina.”

The Tigers bounced back to go 10-4 the next season, earning a trip to the Orange Bowl It was the first of 13 double-digit win seasons over the next 14 years for Swinney who has built the Tigers into one of the most successful and consistent programs in college football.

Since 2011, the Tigers have won 84.3% percent of their games (161-30) under Swinney, including nine ACC championships. He is the winningest coach in ACC history with 180 victories.

The lessons Swinney learned that day have shaped his coaching career

Two years ago after Clemson failed to win 10 games, Swinney had a decision to make when it came to struggling young quarterback Cade Klubnik. Like Swinney, Klubnik had found himself under intense scrutiny and many Tigers fans were urging him to explore the transfer portal

Nuss, Brasher still playing, winning at beach volleyball

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

Occasionally, someone from Taryn Brasher’s hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, or her high school will reach out to the former LSU and Olympic beach volleyball star and ask what she’s doing now that the Paris Games are more than a year in the rearview mirror for her and teammate Kristen Nuss.

“They’re like, ‘So what are you going to do for four years?’” until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Brasher said. “I’m like, ‘We’re still playing.’

“It makes me angry that it’s not better known, but that’s up to us. We’re trying to make (the sport) more known.”

The former LSU duo has certainly been doing their part to promote the sport they love. And yes, for the record, they’re still playing professionally, and playing quite well.

In five top level international tournaments this year, Nuss and Brasher or Team TKN as they’re also known — have two wins, a runner-up and a third-place ﬁnish. They also have two victories on the U.S.-based Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) tour, including one earlier this month in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open.

Preseason camp indicated LSU is letting Pyburn showcase that facet of his game. He lined up on one of the edges of its ﬁrst-team defense, with two defensive tackles to his right and another edge rusher usually Reliford on the other side. The first time the Tigers put the pads on, he sacked Garrett Nussmeier and dropped sophomore tailback Caden Durham behind the line of scrimmage.

Pyburn said he can now squat more than 600 pounds. He also said he’s running close to 21 mph — 1 mph faster than he ran at Florida. Kevin Peoples, the LSU edge rushers coach, has helped him both hone his technique and ﬁnd the right pass rush “track” to take, a custom angle that factors in his speed and stride length to provide the most efﬁcient route to the quarterback

Before, Pyburn thought he had “pretty good” hand-eye coordination. The problem, he said, was his footwork. It didn’t sync with his hands, which weakened his

hips and prevented him from bending past opposing offensive linemen. That stood in the way of recording more sacks and tackles for loss.

As a remedy Peoples prescribed Pyburn a few drills to do on his own time.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s magic,’ ” he said in March. So Pyburn ﬁlmed himself running through the drills, sometimes in his kitchen, and sent the videos to Peoples.

“He was all excited over text when we were on the weekend,” Pyburn said. “It’s just been really great, and I’m just looking forward to continuing to work those techniques, and it’s just gonna make me that much better

“The counter is not really much of an opponent anymore. We’ll say that.”

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

Manhattan Beach is like the Wimbledon of American beach volleyball. Nuss and Brasher repeated as champions there, something not done on the women’s side in nearly a decade.

“Winning it again was pretty crazy,” Nuss said. Now they turn their attention to the AVP championship event, starting Friday in Chicago. After that, they plan on playing two events in Brazil that will get them over the threshold of having played in at least six international events to qualify them for the world championships in November in Adelaide, Australia. In between, they also head back to Southern California for another AVP event in September It’s been and continues to be an eventful time for these two dear friends, who live in the same apartment complex in Baton Rouge when they’re not touring the world playing their sport professionally Brasher formerly Taryn Kloth eloped in January to Miami with her husband Eric, picking the one month of the year when Team TKN is off from competing and the one sure-ﬁre warm spot in the continental U.S. Nuss will have a hometown wedding this coming January in New Orleans to Trey Cruz and will be

HAULCY

Continued from page 1C

see where that ends up,” Kelly said.

“We’re practicing him, preparing to play him, and we’ll wait for further guidance.

“You hope that common sense plays a big role in this.”

NC State transfer and safety

Tamarcus Cooley was also involved in a ﬁght during his ﬁnal game last season against East Carolina in the Military Bowl, but he will be eligible to play the entire game against Clemson, Kelly said. Cooley was not ejected despite being a part of the altercation.

Haulcy and Cooley were LSU’s expected starters at safety on Saturday Without Haulcy, LSU will have to turn to sophomore Dashawn Spears, fifth-year senior Jardin Gilbert or junior Javien Toviano at safety

No. 1 WR flips

LSU football wide receiver recruit Tristen Keys is ﬂipping his commitment to Tennessee, he told Rivals on Thursday

Keys, a Hattiesburg, Mississippi native, is the top senior wideout in the country, according to 247Sports composite rankings and the nation’s sixth-best prospect regardless of position. He ﬁrst committed to the Tigers in March.

Before Keys decommitted, LSU had two top-10 national recruits pledge to its 2026 class. The other one is Lamar Brown, a University High defensive lineman rated as one of the three best prospects in the country He’s still committed to his hometown Tigers.

LSU is still on track to sign two other wide receivers Jabari Mack, a top-100 recruit from Destrehan, and Kenny Darby, a four-star from Bossier City When Keys first committed to LSU, he was on track to become the highest-rated signee of Kelly’s ten-

Kristen Cruz.

“She is my maid of honor,” Nuss said of Brasher

“Matron,” Brasher quickly said. “Matron of honor.” Currently ranked No 9 in the world, partly because they have played fewer tournaments than any other duo ranked in the top 32, Nuss and Brasher already have their eyes on the 2028 Olympics. As they came off the practice sand at Mango’s beach volleyball club in Baton Rouge, Brasher sported a hat with a logo on the side that says “LA to L.A.”

“That’s what we’re going with,” Nuss said. “Louisiana to Los Angeles.”

The two were the No. 2 seed in the Paris Olympics and went 3-0 in their four-team pool, but were knocked out in elimination play in the round of 16. The shock and disappointment of that result has hardly faded and drives them forward in the new Olympic cycle

“I take it as a blessing and we’re getting back to doing what we love,” Nuss said. “But don’t get me wrong there is still a bad taste in my mouth from the Olympics Do we want to change that at LA in 2028? Absolutely.”

For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

ure in Baton Rouge. Now that distinction can belong to Brown.

LSU’s offensive line plan

LSU has set four of the ﬁve starters on its offensive line ahead of its season-opening showdown against Clemson, coach Kelly said Thursday

But the Tigers plan to rotate players in and out of the left guard spot.

The three linemen expected to see snaps at that position opposite ﬁrst-team right guard Josh Thompson, Kelly said, are redshirt sophomore Paul Mubenga, redshirt sophomore DJ Chester and redshirt freshman Coen Echols.

“All four of them are gonna play,” Kelly said “Who starts, that’ll be (offensive line coach) Brad (Davis’) decision come game time.” Redshirt sophomore Tyree Adams is LSU’s top left tackle, Kelly said, and redshirt freshman Weston Davis is its starting right tackle The center is redshirt junior Braelin Moore, a transfer from Virginia Tech.

The Tigers have spent preseason camp trying to settle on a new ﬁrstteam offensive line after four of its ﬁve starters from last season moved on to the NFL.

The only returning starter is Chester and he’s spent camp in a battle with Mubenga and Echols for the ﬁrst-team left guard spot Otherwise, LSU stuck with the same group of starters — Adams, Chester, Moore, Thompson and Davis for most of its preseason practices until it started rotating Davis and freshman Carius Curne at right tackle on Aug. 18.

Kelly has said that up to eight offensive linemen could see snaps in games this season.

“There will be a couple of positions where we’ll have some rotation,” he said on Monday, “and I think it will be good for us. I think it makes us better

“It’s OK to rotate offensive linemen. They can do that too.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU running back Caden Durham is tackled by Florida edge rusher Jack Pyburn, center and Florida defensive back Trikweze Bridges, right, in the second half of their game on Nov 16 at Ben Hill Grifﬁn Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.

PHOTO By AVP

Kristen Nuss, left, and Taryn Brasher celebrate after a match on Aug. 16 at the Manhattan Beach Open in Manhattan Beach, Calif. Nuss and Brasher won the tournament for the second consecutive year

SOULFULVIBES

Smoothvocals, classic hits —it’s“An Intimate All White Affair:R&B Jam” at 8p.m. Saturdayatthe Raising Cane’s River CenterArena. The lineup of R&B legends includes 112, Silk,Next, Carl Thomas, KekeWyatt and Tweet. Dress to impress in your best all-white attire.$75 and up. ticketmaster.com.

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

Savor the flavor

ATaste of the Deep South setfor ninthrun

Staff report

Lil Ray Neal, Henry Turner

Jr.&Flavor,and the Listening Room All-Starswillperformfor the ninth annual ATaste of the Deep South festival Thursday, Friday andSunday, Sept.11, 13 and 14 in Baton Rouge. More local acts announced this week include Smokehouse Porter and the Gut Bucket Blues Band, and thePhoenix Rouge dance troupe. The festival itself takesplace fromnoon to 8p.m. Sept. 13 and 14 at the Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. The event will offer various genres of music, avendor village with arts and crafts,clothing and jewelry,and afood court with Southernfavorites

Festival on April 6inBatonRouge.

AHenry Turner Jr.look-alike contest, adance contest and a watermelon eating contest will be new to the festival this year

The family-friendly festival is free. SpecialVIP ticketsare availableatwww.htjday.com. The $25 VIP Experience includes twomeal and two soft drink tickets. Turner VIP tickets are $100 for twopeople, and include two T-shirts,fourmealanddrinktickets, covered seating in the VIP access tent and a“Now” CD by Henry Turner Jr.&Flavor

The festival pre-party will run from 7p.m. to midnight Sept. 11 at Henry Turner Jr.’sListening Room,2733 NorthSt. Theevening’sperformerswillinclude Turner Jr.&Flavor,the AllStars and special guest artists who will perform at the festival. Admission is $25 in advance and $30 at the door and features adown-home style Southern buffet and no-hostbar For more information on VIP tickets, vendor slots and talent, go to www.htjday.com or call (225) 802-9681.

WHERE TO WATCH

With the LSUTigers kicking off their football season against those “other” Tigers from Clemson University on Saturday,there are, of course,tailgate and watch parties all over the city,among them at Walk-On’s, The Legacy and in Denham Springs, at Big Mike’sSports Bar &Grill. Catchthe 6:30 p.m.gameathomeonABC.

NATURE AT NIGHT

Join BREC Conservation Areastaffand learnabout nighttime ecologyand nocturnal animals at anight hikefrom 7p.m.to9p.m.FridayatCedar Ridge DrivePark. Also includestimearound the campfire and s’mores. Preregistration required; spaces limited. $5. brec.org

OLDSOUTH JAMBOREE

Concerttohonor its‘legends’ as plans forcountry traditiontoliveonform

BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer

The Old SouthJamboree building in Walker may notbestanding much longer,but thespirit of the classic country shows presented theresince the1960s is gettingnew life.

AFriday night concert, the “Classic Country MusicJamboree,” will not only celebrate the performers of the Old South’s past butextendthe torchtoa new generation to appreciate the traditional sounds of the country genre.

OldSouth’s heydey

Although Carlton Jones didn’t come onto the scene at the Old South until 2007, the BatonRouge musician can rattleoff thenames of the biggest acts whograced its stage without hesitation.

“GeorgeJones,Tammy Wynette,” he began. “Merle Haggard,

Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, they allcamethrough. …Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell.”

The list goes on.

WhenWalker businessman LesterHodges built the Old South and opened the doors for showsin the mid-1960s, country music was just beginning to gain afoothold. ”Countrymusic wasnot huge They weren’tplaying stadiums like they are now.They were doing these jamborees and, you know, youcould put 800 or 900 people in the Old South,” he said. The shows were family-friendly evenbeforethatwasathing,Jones explained. No drinking, no smokinginside,nodancing.Theconcessionstandofferedpopcornandhot dogs, both made by Hodges. And the family-friendly rule extendedtoeveryone, even acertain Louisiana wild ä See JAMBOREE, page 2D

‘CLASSIC COUNTRY MUSIC JAMBOREE’ 7:30 p.m. Friday(doors 6:30 p.m.) l Serenity EventCenter l 33135 La. 16, Denham Springs l $20 l (225) 315-3776

BruceSpringsteen biopic to premiere at NY Film Fest

rocker, will be its Spotlight Gala selection, premiering Sept 28 at Lincoln Center’sAlice Tully Hall. The Boss is expected to attend the screening, along withdirector andwriter ScottCooper,and the ﬁlm’s stars, including Jeremy Strong, who plays his manager and record producer Jon Landau, and Odessa Young, whostars as Springsteen’s love interest Faye. Officially titled“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” the 20th

“Born in the U.S.A.” —isranked amongRolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest AlbumsofAll Time. Adapted from Warren Zanes’ book of the sametitle, the ﬁlm also stars Stephen Graham, PaulWalter Hauser andGabyHoffmann. New York Film Festival’sartistic director Dennis Lim called the movie a“ﬁtting tribute to aliving legend”inMonday’sannouncement. “The New York FilmFestival has always

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Lil RayNeal plays theguitar on the Visit BatonRouge Swamp Blues Stageatthe Blues

FILE PHOTOPROVIDED By CARLTONJONES

The first OldSouth Band performs in the 1960s at the Old South Jamboree in Walker.The venuehas been ashow stop for countrymusic stars for more than 50 years.

Jones

Raborn

Reynolds

Don’tinstill fear in children

Dear Heloise: Ijust read the letter about threatening children who are misbehaving with apolice arrest and wanted to share my experience as anurse. I have heard parents say things like, “You had better behave, or I’m going to tell the nurse to give you ashot.” This only instills fear and makes it harder for us and more traumatiz-

FRIDAY

LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan

CompanyPie Bar,New Iberia, 5p.m

JONIVAN JONES: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6p.m

SHOWSTOWATCH —ACADIANA

Seed, Lafayette, 6p.m.

SWAMPLAND REVIVAL: WhiskeyTales, Henderson, 9p.m.

MONDAY

Hints from Heloise

ingfor kids when they do needimmunizations. —Patricia M., via email Patricia,I agree with you.Most children don’t like needles, so threatening to givethem ashot does not make avisit to the doctor’sofﬁce apleasant experience. —Heloise Send ahint to heloise@ heloise.com.

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Friday,Aug. 29, the241st day of 2025. There are 124 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast in southeast Louisiana, breaching levees and spurring ﬂoods that devastated New Orleans. Katrina caused nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damage

Also on this date:

In 1814, during the Warof1812, Alexandria, Virginia, formally surrenderedtoBritish military forces, which occupied the city until Sept. 3.

In 1825, the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro was signed by Portugal andBrazil, ofﬁciallyending the Brazilian WarofIndependence.

In 1862, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing began operations at the United States Treasury.

In 1944, 15,000 American troops of the 28th Infantry Division marcheddown the Champs-Élysées in Paris as the French capital continued to celebrate its liberation from the Nazis.

In 1958, the U.S. Air Force Academy opened in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

In 1966, the Beatles concluded their fourth American tour with their last public concert, held at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. In 2004, marathoner

SPRINGSTEEN

Continued from page1D

Vanderlei de Lima was attacked byaspectator during therunning of theOlympicmarathon in Athens; deLima, who was leading the race atthe time, eventually finished third and received the Pierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanship in addition to hisbronze medal. In 2013,inasweeping newpolicy statement, the JusticeDepartmentsaidit would not standinthe way of states that wantedto legalize, tax and regulate marijuana as long as there were effectivecontrols to keepmarijuana awayfrom children, the blackmarket andfederalproperty In 2021,Hurricane Ida blasted ashorein Louisiana as one of the mostpowerful stormsevertohit the U.S., knocking out power to allofNew Orleans, blowing roofs off buildings and briefly reversing the flow of theMississippi River. Today’sbirthdays: Actor Elliott Gould is 87. Former U.S.Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin is 87. Olympicgold medal sprinter Wyomia Tyus is 80. Olympic gold medal long jumperBob Beamon is 79 Animal behaviorist and autism educator Temple Grandin is 78. Dancerchoreographer Mark Morris is 69. Actor Rebecca De Mornay is 66. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is 58. Singer Me’Shell NdegeOcello is 57. Actor Carla Gugino is 54. Actorsinger Lea Michele is 39.

AUDREY BROUSSARD: Charley

G’sSeafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m

SARAH RUSSO: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6p.m

LIVE MUSIC: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson,6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza&Brewery,Lafayette, 6p.m

FRIDAYNIGHT JAM: La Maison de Begnaud, Scott, 6p.m

ROCK NROSE: Buck &Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

THE TROUBADOUR: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m

JAMBALAYA TRIO: Randol’s

Cajun Restaurant, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

BARET FRITZ AND DUSTIN

RAY: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7p.m

SUPER COLLIDER XXL: Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m.

WOLFEJOHNS: Blue Moon Saloon,Lafayette, 8p.m

MAJOR HANDY BAND: Whiskey&Vine, Lafayette, 8p.m

LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8p.m

JOHNNY MARKS: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 8:30 p.m.

THREE AM: Rock ’n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9p.m

SATURDAY

JEFFERYBROUSSARD &THE CREOLE COWBOYS: Buck &Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 8a.m

SATURDAY MORNING JAM

SESSIONS: Savoy Music Center, Eunice, 9a.m

CAJUN JAM: Moncus Park Lafayette, 9a.m

CAJUN JAM: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.

CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC JAM: Vermilionville, Lafayette, 1p.m

FOREST HUVAL: Cypress Cove Landing,Breaux Bridge, 3p.m

CHAD HUVALAND LAMIZIK

KRÉYÒL: BayouTeche Brewing,Arnaudville, 4p.m THE GRAYWALKER BAND

DUO: Adopted DogBrewing, Lafayette, 6p.m

JAMBOREE

Continuedfrom page1D

man-turned-worldwide-star, Jerry Lee Lewis

BRAD CLEMENTS: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6p.m

JACK WOODSON: Charley G’sSeafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m

LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza&Brewery,Lafayette, 6p.m

LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6p.m

CLIFF BERNARD: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

RAEKWON GEEN: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

STEVE ADAMS TRIO: Agave, Youngsville, 6:30 p.m.

STRAIGHT WHISKEY: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club,Henderson 7p.m

KADEDOMEC&FULL THROTTLE: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7p.m

99 PLAYBOYS: Blue Moon Saloon,Lafayette, 8p.m

CARNELIAN, KISMET,AND

NATIVE TO PARISH: The Loose Caboose, Lafayette, 8p.m

CHARLES &WENDYTRICHE: Whiskey &Vine, Lafayette, 8p.m

DONNY BROUSSARD AND LA STARS: La PoussiereCajun Dancehall, Breaux Bridge,

at theOld South during his 16-year gig, including the struggle to reestablish an audience after Hurricane Katrina,and major damage to the facility’sroof from Hurricane Ida.

8p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8p.m.

SHADOWROAD: Toby’s Lounge,Opelousas, 8:30 p.m

KROSSFYRE: Rock ’n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9p.m.

SUNDAY

GLENN ZERINGUE: Whiskey& Vine,Lafayette, 11 a.m.

LIVE MUSIC: TanteMarie, BreauxBridge,11a.m.

BALDUDIMANCHE—RJ& KREOLE SMOOVE: Vermilionville,Lafayette, 1p.m.

CAJUN JAM: BayouTeche Brewing, Arnaudville, 2p.m.

JAMIE BERGERON: Cypress Cove Landing, BreauxBridge 3p.m.

SHADOWROADBAND W/ KYLE DUGAS: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club,Henderson, 4:30 p.m

LIL NATHAN: Rock ’n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 5p.m. BACK-2-SCHOOL KARAOKE BASH: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6p.m.

MICHALIS: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.

MUSCLE,DEVOTOUS,ALDER, HUMAN INSTINCT: Feed N

PATRICIO LATINO SOLO: Café Habana City, Lafayette, 11 a.m.

LIVE MUSIC: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.

BLUEGRASS JAM: Citédes Arts, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m

PATRICK HENRY&THE LIBERATION BAND: The Brass Room, Lafayette, 7p.m.

TUESDAY

KID’SCAJUN JAMNIGHT: Buck &Johnny’s, BreauxBridge, 6p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m. TERRYHUVAL &FRIENDS: Prejean’s Restaurant,Lafayette, 6p.m.

KILLER KARAOKE: Freetown Boom Boom Room, Lafayette, 8p.m. PAUL TASSIN PIANO: Whiskey &Vine,Lafayette, 8p.m.

WEDNESDAY

DULCIMERJAM: St. Landry VisitorCenter,Opelousas, 10 a.m.

LIVE MUSIC: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Park Bistro, Lafayette, 6p.m. BRANDON MENARD: The Tap Room, Youngsville,6:30 p.m CAJUN JAM:

“Gettingthat out,itwas so much pressure,”the actor told Jimmy Fallon on “The TonightShow”in June. “You’re playing a real person —nevermind Bruce Springsteen —and I wasreally touched (when) thetrailercameout. Ihad more texts than when I blackedout and wonthat Golden Globe(for‘The Bear’).”

“I didn’trealize trailers were that big of athing,” he added “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” is expected to hit theaters Oct.24.

profound creative experiences of my life. To share that experience with New York audiences,inacity that deﬁnes artistic possibility,isboth an honor and aresponsibility Ihold with deep gratitude.” White, who won two Emmy Awards forhis star turn in the Hulu series “The Bear,” previously portrayedprofessional wrestler KerryVon Erich on the big screen in “The Iron Claw.” But for his latest role, the Brooklyn-born Calvin Klein underwear model endured more pressure for portrayingthe Rock &Roll Hall of Famer

“One night, Jerry Lee Lewis came through, he was drunk as askunk and he got up there and started banging on his piano withhis feet Well, that’swhat Jerry Lee Lewis did, you know?”Jones said. “And he startedcussing from thestage. Lester Hodges said, ‘I shut theshow down, gave all the people their money back, paid him, andthen sued him andwon.’

The Old South’salways been run much like the Grand OleOpry, according to Jones.

“Meaning that Iplayed guitar and Iwas the leader, and we had aband, and then we’d bring out, instead of Loretta Lynn, it would be June Barker,you know We did the same routine as what the Grand Ole Opry would be,”Jones said. “We hadpretty much the same singers monthafter month for year after year.Sothey became well-known to our fans as much as the Old Southwas.”

Jones sawups anddowns

The 14.5-acre propertyis currently on themarket for $915,000.

The ﬁnal show in thenondescript red and tan building at 9554 Florida Blvd. was in 2020.

“Yes, Iremember it vividly,itwas March of 2020. It was the last show because of COVID,” he recalled.

Friday’s fun

The Jamboree at Serenity Event Center, 33135 La. 16 in Denham Springs,this weekendwill paytribute to the “legends,”the past members of what Jones calls the Old South Bands and OldSouth Singers, which include,going back to the beginning:

n Jimmy Millet (guitar)

n BuckGrantham(pedal steel guitar)

n James Weatherford (guitar and vocals)

n Ed Kinchen (vocals)

n John Reynolds aka Johnnie“UnclePete” Reynolds (vocals and comedy)

Therewill also be aslideshow in memoryofdeceased

band members, who also include Grantham, the ﬁrst steel player in the ﬁrst Old South Band; Weatherford, oneofthe original singers; Kinchen, who sang at the OldSouth “way up into his 80s” and Reynolds.

Singers for the jamboree willbe: Carlton Jones, Robert Reynolds, Jesse Reynolds, Susan Reynolds Burdette, June Barker,Anita LeBlanc, TommyRaborn, Dennis andTraceySmith, and Deb Carpenter

The house band will feature Jones with the Robert Reynolds Band and Danny Harrell on steel guitar

Ticketsare $20. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m

What’s ahead

Robert Reynolds, whose band willbeplaying on Friday,has Old South memories going back to his childhood.

Hisdad was“legend”John Reynolds, mentioned previously.The elderReynolds, whotoured withWagoner, was known forhis comedy act as much as forhis voice.

“My earliest memory was seeing Marty Robbins when Iwas 6yearsold in 1976, Robert Reynolds, 55, of Denham Springs, said. “And

then Ibegan performing at the Old South when Iwas 14 years old in 1984 as the drummer in my dad’sband.” He is nowthe leader/ drummer of the King Creole Orchestra,with the majority of his work being as amusician alongside tribute artists, particularly Elvis ones. “I have atremendous love for old classic country,especially east Texas country music such as Ray Price and Johnnie Bush. My preference as far as aperformer is big band swing and Western swing,” he said. Robert Reynolds and his wife CharlotteReynolds plan to work with Serenity Event Centerinhopes of continuing to bring classic country music to the area. Jones, meanwhile, sees potential in at least one of Louisiana’snewest rising country music artists.

“You know, what’sencouraging is this kid from Addis, John Foster,” he said.“That’s old country.Ifyou listen to him, there’ssomeofthese young people in the new generationare realizing how wonderful old country was. There’sseveral of them. He almost won the No.1spot (on TV’s“American Idol”) doing old country.”

FRIDAY

WILLIE STONEMORE

BAND: Agile Brewing, 5:30 p.m.

KAITLYN WALLACE: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6 p.m.

CLAYTON SHILLING: Tallulah at the Renaissance,

6 p.m.

ERIC BASKIN DUO: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 6 p.m.

KEEPIN’ TIME BAND:

T’Quilas, Zachary, 6 p.m.

RHETT GUILLOT: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 6 p.m.

DUSTIN LEE GUEDRY: Top Notch Seafood, Gonzales, 6 p.m.

FLOYD BROWN BAND

FEATURING JODY MAY-

EUX: Pedro’s-Siegen, 6 p.m.

ERNEST SCOTT: Papi’s Fajita Factory, Watson,

6 p.m.

ASHTON GILL: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville,

6 p.m.

MELISSA SINGS: Le Chien Brewing Co., Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

UNITED WE JAM: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

FLORIDA STREET BLOWHARDS: Curbside Burgers, 7 p.m.

ACOUSTICRATS: The Brakes Bar, 7 p.m.

RHETT ANTHONY: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7 p.m.

LAUREN LEE BAND: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville,

5:30 p.m.

KAITLYN WALLACE:

T’Quilas, Zachary, 6 p.m.

TMC: Papi’s Fajita Factory, Watson, 6 p.m.

BRYAN ROMANO & DOUBLE SHOT: Pedro’sSiegen, 6 p.m.

TONI TERRY: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6 p.m.

ROCKIN’ ROUGE: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

BO BURKES: Le Chien Brewing Co., Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

PHAT HAT: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 7 p.m.

BRYAN SOUTHWICK: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge, 7 p.m.

PETER SIMON: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7 p.m.

7 p.m.

RHODES, MAURER & FRIENDS: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7 p.m.

BO BURKES DUO: Crowne Plaza, 7 p.m.

DENTON HATCHER: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge, 7 p.m.

GRUNGE GUYZ/REVENGE OF THE FALLEN: Mid City Ballroom, 8 p.m.

HENRY TURNER JR. & ALLSTARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m.

RYAN PATTERSON & FREDDY BOZAS: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 8 p.m.

JOEL COOPER & SCOTT

JORDAN: The Vineyard, 9 p.m.

VOYAGE: Churchill’s, 9 p.m.

THE DRUNK UNCLES: Icehouse Tap Room, 9 p.m.

AARON DAY: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris, St. Amant, 9 p.m.

TRUE SPIN: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 9 p.m.

PAT & THE PISTOLS: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

THE CHEE WEEZ: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 10 p.m.

SATURDAY

MICHAEL GIBNEY: Leola’s Café, 11 a.m.

BEN RAGSDALE: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 5 p.m.

IAN WEBSTER DUO: Sullivan’s Steakhouse,

KENDALL SHAFFER: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 7 p.m

ILIAKA, KITCHEN SINK WATER, HORSEFLY: Mid City Ballroom, 8 p.m.

DEANA CARTER: The Manship Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

ORILLION PROJECT: Phil Brady’s, 8 p.m.

AN ALL WHITE AFFAIR — R&B JAM: Raising Cane’s River Center Arena, 8 p.m.

ACOUSTIC SATURDAY WITH SPECIAL GUEST

DIXIE ROSE: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m.

VINCENT MASON: The Texas Club, 8:30 p.m.

MICHAEL FOSTER PROJECT: Chelsea’s Live, 9 p.m.

RED HEADED STEPCHILD: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

DERRICK LEMON: The Vineyard, 9 p.m.

CHASE TYLER BAND: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 10 p.m.

SUNDAY

ERIC WHITFIELD: Crowne Plaza, 11 a.m.

ROBERT CALMES: Cocha, 11 a.m.

JOHN AUTIN/TAYLOR

MROSKI: Jubans, 11 a.m.

JUSTIN BURDETTE TRIO: Superior Grill MidCity, 11 a.m.

MIKE HOGAN: Leola’s Café, 11 a.m.

JUNIOR LACROSSE: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 2 p.m.

COTEAU GROVE: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 4 p.m.

SONGWRITER SUNDAYS: La Divina Italian Cafe, 5 p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 7 p.m.

MONDAY

DUSTIN LEE GUEDRY: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 3 p.m.

KATIE KENNEY DUO: Superior Grill MidCity, 6 p.m.

ACOUSTICRATS: Phil

Brady’s, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY

EDDIE SMITH: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

BLOCKER HARVISON: BLDG 5, 5:30 p.m.

CHRIS LEBLANC: Mason’s Grill, 5:30 p.m.

KENDALL SHAFFER: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville, 5:30 p.m.

SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC: Le Chien Brewing Co., Denham Springs, 6 p.m.

KIRK HOLDER: Bin 77, 6:30 p.m.

SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC W/HEATH RANSONNET: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 7 p.m. ANDY PIZZO TRIO: Hayride Scandal, 7:30 p.m. OPEN MIC JAM: O’Hara’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

WILL WESLEY: Mike Anderson’s, Gonzales, 6 p.m BO BURKES: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6 p.m.

KYBALION: El Paso-Sherwood, 6 p.m.

followed by a hands-on summer-themed craft that’s perfect for little ones and their grown-ups. Regular admission applies. lasm.org.

FAMILY-HOUR STARGAZING: 10 a.m., Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S River Road. Learn about the stars and constellations in the local nighttime sky, followed by an all-ages show. lasm.org.

TUESDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET:

3 p.m.-6 p.m., Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Farm-fresh produce, goods, cooking demonstrations. breada.org.

TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m., Burgersmith, 18303 Perkins Road. Collect your team and jockey for ﬁrst place. loom. ly/y-CKtQ4.

WEDNESDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET:

9 a.m. to noon, ExxonMobil YMCA, 7711 Howell Blvd. Farm-fresh produce, goods and more. www.facebook com/redstickfarmersmarket

TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m., Burgersmith, 27350 Crossing Circle, Suite 150, Denham Springs. Collect your team and jockey for ﬁrst place.

loom.ly/y-CKtQ4.

THURSDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8 a.m. to noon, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road. Farm-fresh produce, goods and more facebook.com/redstickfarmersmarket.

WEEKLY SOCIAL BIKE RIDE: 7 p.m., Geaux Ride, 521 N Third St., Suite A. Free. fareharbor.com.

TRIVIA NIGHT: 7 p.m., Bayes Oyster Bar, 315 North Blvd Test your trivia skills with your friends and family. Free.

ONGOING ART GUILD OF LOUISIANA: Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd. “Workshop Show,” to Sept. 11. (225) 7738020 or artguildlouisiana.org. BATON ROUGE GALLERY CENTER FOR CONTEMPO-

RARY ART: 1515 Dalrymple Drive. Group exhibit by Mary Ann Caffery, Jessica Sharpe, Michaelene Walsh and Beth Welch, through August. batonrougegallery.org.

CAPITOL PARK MUSEUM: 660 N. Fourth St. “Billy Cannon: They Called Him Legend,” through Jan. 10. “Grounds for Greatness: Louisiana and the Nation” and “The Louisiana Experience: Discovering the Soul of America,” permanent exhibits. (225) 342-5428 or louisianastatemuseum.org.

LOUISIANA ART & SCIENCE

MUSEUM: 100 S. River Road. “Landscapes Along the Railway: The Art of John Cleaveland,” Soupçon Gallery; “Going Places: Transportation Toys of the Past,” Discovery Gallery; “Shelf Queens: Model Train Masterpieces,” Colonnade Gallery; “Threads of Evolution: Engineering a Community That Sparkles,” engineering meets

imagination through the work of Jaime Glas Odom, founder and creative director of fashion brand Queen of Sparkles, through Nov. 9; “Discoveries on the Nile: Exploring King Tut’s Tomb and the Amin Egyptian Collection,” through Oct. 31. (225) 344-5272 or lasm.org.

LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES GALLERY: 3851 Essen Lane. “55th Annual River Road Show,” a national, juried show, through Sept. 23. Free. Gallery hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

LSU MUSEUM OF ART: Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. “A Bayou State of Mind,” highlighted by the exhibition “The Bayou Collection,” a series of 40 paintings by George Rodrigue, opens Sept. 4. “Carved and Crafted: The Art of Letterpress,” through Sept. 21. (225) 3897200 or lsumoa.org. MANSHIP THEATRE GALLERY:

100 Lafayette St. “Michalopoulos: Happy Times, Summer in the City,” through Oct. 10.

Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. TuesdayThursday, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. MAGNOLIA MOUND MUSEUM + HISTORIC SITE: 2161 Nicholson Drive. Guided and selfguided tours. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. MondaySaturday and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. brec.org/facility/MagnoliaMound.

OLD GOVERNOR’S MANSION: 502 North Blvd. Open for tours. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Free admission. oldgovernorsmansion.com.

OLD STATE CAPITOL: 100 North Blvd. “Contemporary Views of the Castellated Capitol,” exhibit celebrating the 175th anniversary of the OSC and featuring the works of 19 wellknown Louisiana artists. Free. louisianaoldstatecapitol.org. USS KIDD VETERANS MUSEUM: 305 S. River Road. Displays of a variety of artifacts that celebrate veteran and naval military history. Note: Vessel is in Houma for dry dock repairs. usskidd.com. WEST

AROUND BATON ROUGE

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

‘The Bayou Collection,’ a series of 40 paintings by the late George Rodrigue, will be part of the larger ‘A Bayou State of Mind’ exhibition opening Thursday at the LSU Museum of Art.

VIRGo (Aug.23-sept. 22) You will make strides if you participate in something newand exciting. Alittleflash and charisma will carry you forward and attract those who have something to offer.

LIBRA (sept.23-oct. 23) Pay attention to where your money goes. Don't sit at home procrastinating when getting out and having face-to-face talks will bring themosteffective results. Apply charm and pressure.

scoRPIo(oct. 24-nov. 22) It's not what you do or say; it's how you turn your dreams into areality. Know what's best for you, and stick to your course of action until you'resatisfied with the results.

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Use your voice, wisdom and physical ability to emphasize your positionand expectations, and you'llweed out the people who are best suitedtotag along on your adventure. Be true to yourself.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan.19) Consider what it takes to get to thenext level Assess, refineand implement change. Expect to face oppositionfrom someoneclose to you. Don't overreact; considersuggestions,but do what's best for you.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Money and health matters will require attention. Youhave plenty to gainbystaying on top of what transpiresinstead of letting someone represent you or what youwant. With clarity comes success.

PIscEs(Feb. 20-March 20) Sit tight, dream and refuse to letsomeone lure you down apath that's not in your best interest. Anetworking event will lead to opportunities. Explore the possibilities.

ARIEs(March 21-April 19) Create aspace that suits your needs. This will put your mind at ease and center your confidence. Mixbusiness with pleasure, and you'll gainmomentum and allies.

TAuRus (April20-May 20) Protect your home,healthand reputation. Refuse to let anyone use emotional manipulation to take advantage of you. You'll gain the most if you avoidconflicts

GEMInI (May21-June 20) Take the initiative to reach out,connect and become apart of something that excites you. Utilizeyour intelligence and physical abilitiestogarner support cAncER (June 21-July 22) Keep your private life to yourself. Avoid indulgent people, excessive situations and unreasonable demands. Be blunt about what you will and won'ttolerate. LEo (July23-Aug. 22) Rethink your every thought,move or interaction. Center yourselfand refuse to letyour emotions dictatewhat happens next. Be smart and make the gains that matter. Strength begins with believing in yourself.

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box containsthe same number only once. The difficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS Hi and LoiS CurTiS

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

Mary Lou Retton, whowon one gold, two silver and two bronze medalsin the1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, said about her training regimen: “I gave up my childhood.I missed proms and games and high-school events, and people said it was awful. Isay it wasa good trade.”

Her hard workgained her entry —the fifthletterofmy“trade”acronym—into the United States Olympic team. Bridge players should alwayskeep their eyes on entries. It is easierfor declarer, who can seeall of hisassets. But forthe defenders, it is no use having winners readyto be cashed if that player does not havean entry card to gain the lead.

In this deal, how should East hope to defeat three no-trump after West leads afourth-highest spadefour?

When the dummy comes down, East should count up the points. South showed 15-17, dummy has 12, andEast holds10. Thatleavesonly1-3forWest.IfWesthas king-fifth of spades, there is no danger. ButifWest has only the spade jack, he cannot have an entry card in another suit

Eastmust reject the usual defense of winning with the spade ace (third hand high) and returning thequeen.South wouldduck,takethethirdspade,andrun the club queen to collect an overtrick

Instead, East must smoothly play his spade queen at trick one.

Yes, if South ducks, he makes his contract. But whywould he? That would be suicidal if Westhas thespade ace-jack andclubking. Instead, South will win thefirst trickand takethe club finesse. ButEast wins with his king, cashes the spade ace, andleads his last spade for downone.

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase,name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words

ToDAy’sWoRD GRounDWoRK: GROWND-werk: Preparation made beforehand.

Average

Time

Canyou find 36 or more words in GROUNDWORK?

today’s thought

“Watch you and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the fleshisweak.”Mark 14:38

wuzzles

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

Resilienceand renewal: 20 yearsofprogress since hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Likemany ofyou, Ihavestrong emotions about the20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and its impact on thecitywecall home

NewOrleans.Iremain in awe of nature’s rawpower on that fateful day and deeply sad about thetragedy brought by thestorm to so many.Considering Katrina, and its equally terrifying counterpartHurricane Rita which struckthe Louisiana/Texas border just afew weeks later,I’m also inspired by howour recoveryshowed the power and resilienceofthe human spirit and what determined people coming together canachieve

Then, as now,New Orleans was the home to Entergy’s corporate headquarters Thousands of our employees and their families lived in theplaces hardesthit by Katrina. I’mhonored that our employees met thechallenge head on, from those working at our generationplantsand headquarterstothose restoring power at Entergy New Orleans, our local operating company.Manyofthemhelped theregion recover even as they suffered theirown personallosses

Thelessonslearned after HurricaneKatrinamade us astronger,morecustomerfocused companyand to this day,weknow that progress requiresdedication and power

—for homes, businesses, communities and our lives. Thespiritofthat day endures in our vision statement “WePower Life” as we channel those lessons intothe work that we do everyday,even twentyyears later from that impactful time.

Today,we’re aleaderacross our industryand in our hometown. Our utility workersare nationally recognized for storm response. In fact,during amajor storm anywhereinthe country,there’s a good chance Entergy willbecalled on for expertise and support.

We area leaderincorporategiving. For the10thyear, Entergy was named to The Civic 50, thePoints of Light prestigious annual list that recognizes top companies for employee volunteerismand community investment. In 2024 alone,wecontributed $4.3 million to morethan 100New Orleans nonproﬁts.

And we area leaderineconomic development by collaborating to help Louisiana securemajor new investments in thedatacenter,LNG,steel,and

petrochemical industries. Earlier this year,weserved as founding partner for theSuper Bowl 59 Host Committee, contributing millions to host thismajor event thatbrought morethan $1.25billion in economic impact to our state, region and city

We continue our work in close collaboration withour regulators and communities as we buildenergy infrastructurethat makes thegrid stronger and moreresilient for yearstocome. An energy grid designed to withstand the harshest conditions. That work balances affordability,reliabilityand sustainability on behalf of all our customers.

In NewOrleans, theCityCouncil recently approved Phase 1ofour proposed resilience plan, which includes strengthening morethan 3,000 structures and upgrading morethan 60 miles of electric lines.

TheLouisiana PublicService Commission also approved theﬁrstphase of those efforts, which includes2,100 incremental Entergy projects across thestate. By

reinforcing our grid ahead of severe weather,Louisiana customerswill save an estimated $1.2 billion in storm costs

ThePublic UtilityCommission of Texas approved an investment of $137 million in projects to strengthen theSoutheast Texas power grid, reduce storm-related outages, and save customersmillions in restoration costs for decades

And while we aremaking theseneeded investments,weare mindful that 40% of our residential customerslive at or below the poverty level. That realityispartofeach businessdecision we makeinNew Orleans and everywhere we serve. As aresult, we continue to maintain someofthe lowest electric rates in thecountryand work hard everyday to keep bills as low as possible. Twentyyearson, thelessons of Katrina endure, and theresilience of this community continues to inspire. New Orleans remains our home as we work for everyone and honor our commitment to safely serveour cityand theregion. Thepeople of Entergy areoptimistic about thefuture, ready for anything, and striving to lead theway to a brighter futurefor all of us.

Read about howEntergy restored more than justpower at entergy.com/Katrina20.

Drew Marsh

Chief

Chair and

Executive Ofﬁcer Entergy Corporation

Local Entrepreneurs Combine Creativity AndCommerce Smarts To Launch Big Ideas And Shape NewOrleans’Business Scene

By Amanda McElfresh|amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

WhenHurricane Katrinaroared ashoreinAugust 2005,the storm struck at amomentwhen New Orleans’entrepreneurial spirit was beginning to bloom. Manysmall business ownerswerejust getting their footing, while young innovatorsweresketching ideas for howtogrowa morevibrant economy

Katrina could have ended many of those dreams. Instead, it became adeﬁning catalyst that sharpened people’sfocus, deepened theircommitment to their work and bound them more tightly to thecity they love.

Fledgling startup scene thrived with renewed focus and collaborations

“The seeds of theIdea Village and the local entrepreneurial ecosystem had been planted about ﬁve yearsbeforeKatrina. Because of that foundation, people wereable to seizethe momentinterms of coming together quickly to identify thegreatest areas of need and mobilize quicklyinterms of raising resources,” said Emily Madero, nowpresident and CEO of French Quarter Fest. In 2005,Madero was abusiness schoolstudentatTulane whowas also involvedinthe early years of Idea Village and other organizations to supportlocal startups

“WhenIcame back after evacuating, it felt likeinNew Orleans,there was no other option than to be aproactive part of rebuilding thecity,”Maderosaid. “That refocused what Iwas working on.”

Maderoand otherTulane students enrolled in aRebuilding New Orleans course in early2006. Rather than sitting in aclassroom, sheand other students connected with local startups and small businesses that needed supporttorestart, with aparticular focus on hospitality and theFrench Quarter,and acorridor development strategy along areas like Bayou Road, Oak Street and Freret Street that becametest cases for targeted revitalization.

“I think about what Freret felt like in the1990s and ea Some of thefocuse effortsinvolved ide acriticalcommunity shining example of yearslater when yo vibrant that corrido Maderosaid.

Meanwhile, theId Village continues to thrive. It has raised millions in funding for startups, leads signature accelerator programs forlocal founders, produces dozens of communi events and maintain globalnetwork of m “Rebuildingthe startup ecosystem a entrepreneurial netw was hugely importa Katrina. Seeing it co to thrive today is very meaningful, not only in terms of individual businesses, but because it shows thereiseconomic opportunityand businesses that are committed to growing in New Orleans,” Madero said.“That success is atestament to thecollective will and commitmentofthe broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Alden McDonald Jr.maintained vision to chart the futureofAmerica’s largest Black-ownedbank

Inside theNew Orleans Eastofﬁces of Liberty Bank –the nation’s largest bank for Black Americansinterms of assetsize–an estimated $2.5million worth of Black artadorns thespace.Liberty Bank CEO Alden McDonaldJr. is especiallyfond of abronzesculptureofSisyphus pushing a massiverock uphill.Itsitsonaconference room tableand bearsthe inscription, “Never give up. “It remindsmeofme,” McDonald told Forbes earlier this year.“That’show it felt when we wererebuilding thebank (post-Katrina).”

That rebuilding process playedakey role in helping Liberty Bank become amajor entityinthe nation’s ﬁnancial markets. It now has morethan $1 billion in assets, serves customersin11states and has been proﬁtable for 47 of its52years,according to Forbes. That work has been done by Liberty’s focus on lending to underserved communities and generating revenue from fees and interest.

What continues to set Liberty Bank apart and draw accoladesfrompeersand competitorsisits ongoing commitment to growth. Alden McDonald Jr.’sson Todd is thebank’spresident and CEO-in-waiting His bold spirit and vision have helped Liberty Bank add millions in assetsinrecent years, and theMcDonalds’ new goal is to grow Liberty’sassets to $10billion while continuing to buildtrust in theBlack community.Todd McDonald regularly meets withBlack leaders in major cities to convince them thatLiberty can serve customersfromall backgrounds, whilehis father has survived and thrived through enough over thedecadestobeundeterred by potential futurechallenges, including AI and governmental policychanges.

“We’ve got to look for theopportunities,” Alden told Forbes. “O for ‘obstacles.’O for ‘opportunities.’”

y’: Alexa Pulitzer ith creativityand atience Pulitzer,2005 k to be her ghyear. TheNew based designer ationery, paper oods, gifts and office supplies had just completed herfirstmajor trade show and secured ordersfrom around the world. But, Katrina’sfloods aused Pulitzer to seher archives, oducts and ability print and deliver regnant with her firstchild, Pulitzer evacuated to Birmingham, Alabama with herhusband, who urged hertoconsider making themove permanent. But, Pulitzer felt compelled to returnback to NewOrleans.

“I felt verystrongly about returning to the communitythatnurtures my creativity.I draw so much inspiration from being in this city, whether it’s thelifestyle or thepeople

or thenatural beauty. It’s ahuge partof me,” Pulitzer said. “I didn’t want to turn away from that. As frustrated as Iwas on multiplelevels, Ifelt like Ineeded to at least try.

Sherestarted slowly,working with a Birmingham printer whilereaching out personally to customerstoexplain the delays. Most responded with patience and loyalty. In time,Pulitzer returned her production to NewOrleans and vowed never to move it elsewhere. Today,her products proudly carrythe city’sname, a constant reminderofthe creative energy sherefused to abandon.

“I loveand am proud of thefact that Imanufacturehere,” Pulitzer said. “Business today for me is steady.Alot of customers supported me after Katrina, including some large national companies, and that helped me to grow my footprint.I think my business gets better and better each year.”

‘BeaNew Orleanian wherever youare’: Dirty Coast found identitywith post-Katrinaslogan BlakeHaneywas just getting Dirty Coast offthe ground in 2005.Hehad started sketching out ideas for the company’s shirts less thana year beforeand was in the early stages of establishing a business and website selling the apparel thatcelebrated thequirk and cultureofNew Orleans.

When he was displaced, Haney together aquick design for astic with theslogan “Be ANew Orlea wherever you are.” Once back in city, he and his team began distr them at local barsand coffeesho They became so popular thatHa estimates morethan twomillion s have since been handed out, and diehard devotees have even gott tattoos of themessage

“There was aprettypowerful re to thesticker’s design and sentiment, Haney recalled. “I think it proved that it wasnecessarytoget this T-shirtconcept launched.Itall took on amuch bigger mission and meaning.”

“Katrina deﬁnitely changed Dirty Coast from being afun side project to something with agreater mission,” Haney said. “I remember one customer said our T-shirts werelikeasecret handshake. If you understood New Orleans,you got the concept and felt likeyou wereinonthe joke. From theverybeginning, we had amixtureofcelebrating New Orleans and offering communitycommentary. Theadded element of being able to use theT-shirts as asymbol of New Orleans identitybecame keytothe DNA of thebrand.”

Four years after Katrina, irl turned NewOrleans o female fashion time Lauren Haydel ed Fleurty Girl in 2009 building was well erway in New Orleans tshe still felt apalpable nergy in thecityspurred y people whowere efocusing their priorities and ﬁguring out what eally mattered to them. That energy grew as the New Orleans Saints put ether awinning season culminated in their Super l win in February2010. adalwaysknown that Orleans is unlikeany place in thewhole world. special and quirky and ”Haydel said. “Timing rything when it came to ch. Therewas arenewed vefor New Orleans that I erfelt before.”

DirtyCoast made its ofﬁcial permanent launch in 2006, with its shirts doubling as movable billboards for thebrand and conversation startersabout New Orleans life.Today’s Dirty Coast line hasproducts featuring everything from poboysand Hubig’spiestothe NewOrleans Saints, potholesand religious ﬁgures.

FleurtyG pride int By the launch there und ye e b r r tog that Bow “I h New other It’sso unique, was eve our laun ﬁercelo had nev Haydel Girl lea beginn and ca

’s vision for Fleurty ned feminine from the ing –V-necks, funcolors playful designs that ptured thesassand spirit of theNew Orleans woman. Thebrand has evolved over time, become lessabout thecityitself and more about thekind of woman wholives there.

“She’sfun. She’ssassy.She’s edgy.She’s ﬂirty,”Haydel said. “Wepushthe envelope alittle bit. It all started from our love of New Orleans and thinking about what it means to be agirl wholives here and loves this place. We’renot afraid to create and wear snarky stuff. People here get that becausetheyrealizethat we’re not judging you.Wewant you to be whoyou are.”

Shaped by thestorm: HowKatrina inﬂuenced today’sgeneration of NewOrleans leadership

By Amanda McElfresh |amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

ALLISONHOTARD

Executive Director, YoungLeadership Council

What wasgoing on in your life in August 2005?

Iwas 21 yearsold and on the UNO student programming board. We were excited because it felt likeitwas going to be abig year.Itwas going to be mylast semester and Iwas taking several HRT (hotel/restaurant/tourism)classes to graduate.

What do you remember themost about theimmediateaftermath of Katrina?

Ihad evacuated to Vacherie. We were listening to theradio and it seemed like we didokay.Then, we werewatching news coverage on ablack andwhite TV that my friend’sdad had connectedto antennas.Wesaw whenthe levees broke and thecitywas suddenly ﬂooded. My heartjust sunk. Ididn’t know what Iwas going to do or what my life was going to look like

President and CEO, Downtown Development District

Whatmade you want to come back to NewOrleans?

Ican’t imagine my lifeanywhereelse NewOrleans has asoul that many other cities do not have. Thereisa vibration and acultureherethat I’ve never found anywhereelse. We have Wednesdays at theSquare, and you see peopleofall ages and nationalities having agood timetogether.That is NewOrleans to me.Ialso believe thatone individual can make arealimpact here.People can come here,connect with othersand make adifference.

Howdid Katrinainﬂuence your futurelifeand career decisions?

My major was hospitality. Therewas obviously adip in thatsector in New Orleans after Katrina. Istarted to notice howvolatile thatcareer could be That’swhenIrealized thatI wanted to be in acareer that feltmorestable.It’s interesting to think about thefact that my pathatUNO was training me to do what Idotoday.Myjob now is planning programming for young professionalsin NewOrleans, and Iwas doing that at UNO 20 yearsago. Iwas on thispath but didn’t know it at thetime

Whatdoyou hope thenext 20 years lookslikefor NewOrleans?

Ithink thebiggest opportunities are around investing in our schoolsand teachers.I’d also liketosee use encourage moregrowth. Thereisa place wherecitizens can live and businesses can thrive. I’dliketosee moresupport for that and lessﬁghting against opportunities for thecity’sfuture.

What wasgoingoninyour lifeinAugust2005?

WhenHurricane Katrina struck NewOrleansinAugust 2005,thousands of teens and young adults saw their homes, schools and neighborhoods swept away.The storm’sdevastation forced them to navigate displacement, loss and uncertaintyatatime when lifeisalready full of change. Yet, in thetwo decades since, those young people have emerged as thenew generation of NewOrleans leaders. They carrywith them the strength that was forged in thechaotic monthsafter Katrina, adevotion to thecitytheylove and adeterminationtoensurethe next generation is better prepared forfuturestorms. Today,their voices arehelping guide New Orleans through challenges both familiar andnew

EMAD JABBAR

Assistant Vice President, Gulf Coast Bank

What wasgoing on in your life in August 2005?

Ihad just started my junior year at UNO. Iwas really enjoying my time there. I was in afraternity and we were active on campus. Everyyear, we helped the freshmen moveinto thedorms. Ihit it off with one freshman whohad just moved here from New York. He’sstill agood friend of mine, 20 yearslater.Itwas atime whereI was building alot of good relationships.

What do you remember themost about theimmediateaftermath of Katrina?

My family had evacuated to Dallas with alot of friends and family.Whenwe found out thatthe levees brokeand most of UNO’s campus was underwater,it was amoment of ‘what do we do now?’. Several of us from universities all over New Orleans ended up enrolling at the

Ihad graduated from Tulane in 2004 and hadjust completedapostbaccalaureate fellowship in city hall that hadgiven me opportunities to do work in thechief administration ofﬁce andcityplanning commission. Iwas trying to plan for what came next. Iwas preparing to possiblyworkincityhall, but knewIwantedtodourban planning andthat Iwas going to have to go to graduateschool to pursue that

What do you remember themostabout theimmediate aftermathofKatrina?

Therewas alot of bouncing around for several months. When they reopened parts of thecityinOctober,westayed withmynowwife’saunt and uncleinMetairie, drove througha NationalGuard checkpoint everyday to deal with my mom’sflooded house, then drove back to spend thenight in Metairie.Once moreplacesopened throughout thecityand Uptown, Idid alot of couch surfing.My apartmentwas finallyhabitableinFebruary or Marchof2006.

What made you want to come back to NewOrleans?

Ialready knew Iwanted to work in urban planning,but Ifeltstrongly that therewas no other place Iwanted to do that work in. Iverymuch

What made youwanttocome back to NewOrleans?

UniversityofTexas at Arlington. Abunch of us stayed at onehotel forfour or ﬁve months. It almost felt likebeing back in my fraternity. Ithink we werejust trying to makethe most of it.

What made you want to come back to NewOrleans?

Dallas was amazing and Idid think about staying there. But,you can’t ﬁnd thelove likeyou feel in NewOrleans anywhere else. In NewOrleans, you can run into someone you’ve never seen beforeand feel likefamily.There’s acamaraderie, alove for thecityand apassion to see it thrive.

Howdid Katrina inﬂuence your futurelifeand career decisions? It made me want to do work that truly touches thecommunityand helps people. Ihelped my family manage their businesses and worked as an entrepreneur beforesomeone recommended Iget into banking. One of thereasons Ijoined Gulf Coast Bank was thechance to move up theranksand develop as both aperson and aleader.I’m consistently inspired by theway Gulf Coast supports its staffand its communities, and Ithinkalot of that comes from seeinghow they and other businesses responded after Katrina. What do you hopethe next 20 years looks likefor NewOrleans?

I’dliketosee us be able to complete moreprojects. It does get frustrating to see unﬁnished work because we as acity takeonsomany projects,thenitbecomes astart-and-stopcycle. I’dliketosee us tackle one project at atime and see it to completion and get people to work together towardacommon goal instead of letting politics get in theway

felt astrongsenseofresponsibilitytogive back to theplace that had given so much to me.

Howdid Katrina inﬂuence your futurelife and career decisions?

Ithink it gave me averyspeciﬁcdirection. Thenatureofcityplanning and theneed for it in New Orleans changed overnight. Iknew I wanted to startmycareer working in recovery. Ipurposefully selected agraduateschool whereIcould do projects in thecity, not study therecoveryfromafar.Iknew Iwanted to contribute directly to the rebuilding work in thecity. Continuing to do hands-on work has been important to me ever since.

What do you hopethe next 20 years looks like forNew Orleans?

Ithink downtown has alot of momentum. TheredevelopmentofCharity Hospital and PlazaTower arehigh-proﬁle projects that areimpressive in terms of theopportunities they have to transform theskylineofNew Orleans. Ithink you’ll continue to see evolutionacrossdowntown as the residential and hospitalitybases develop andasweright-sizeour ofﬁce space market forthe modern economy

BROOKE LAIZER

Meteorologist,WWL-TV

What wasgoing on in your life in August 2005?

Iwas 10 yearsold and in theﬁfthgrade Iwas studying weatherfor theﬁrsttime in school. Ihaveadistinctmemoryof our class learning about cloud formation patterns and knowing my hopefulfuture career path. Ultimately,Katrina was my inspirationtotruly followthatinterest and serve New Orleans.

What do you remember themost about theimmediate aftermath of Katrina?

My grandmother lived in Lakeview and lost herentirehome.I can still smell that flood when Ithink about it. Ican still smell a Katrina fridge when Ithink about it.Itstays etched in your mind. Iremember watching my dad break herfront door with an axe because herarmoirehad floated in front of it. Therewas aneutral ground area in herneighborhoodthat was filled with debris from allofthe homes.A lot of those memories came back to me verystrongly during Hurricane Ida

I’ve been fortunate to workinplaces that have sortofadopted me,likeAugusta, Georgia and Jackson, Mississippi.But, I alwaysknew Icouldnot waittoget back to New Orleans. This citylives in your soul, andIfeel likeIunderstand thatmorenow that I’ve lived in other places. Thereisno culture, no timelessness, no European feel, no authenticitylikeyou ﬁnd here

Howdid Katrinainﬂuence your futurelifeand career decisions? I’ve really attempted to have acalm presenceinextremesituations. Ithink alot about howpeople in NewOrleanshave beensoimpacted by weather,how much they have lost and howmuch they fear the worst case scenario. Itry to empathizewith that and share alot of informationonthe front end. I’ve worked hard to fully grasp thelogisticsthat go intoevacuations and why people sometimes stay,and really put myself in theirshoes.

What do you hope thenext 20 years looks likefor NewOrleans?

Ihope we continue to learn from Katrina andthe storms thathavecome since then. Ihope we continue to examinethe best ways to do contraﬂowand theimpact that hasonsomany people. Ithink alot about whata mandatoryevacuationmeans for people and howwecan help them cope with theaftermath of that.Interms of communication, I’mhonored to be at WWL. I’mlooking forward to howwe continue to embrace streamingand social mediaplatforms as much as we can. The overall approach is to have information easily accessible at amoment’snotice, especially when peopleare not or cannot watch traditionalair broadcasts.

COURTNEY THOMAS-BARNES

Vice President Of Communications

AndPublic Affairs,Greater New Orleans Foundation

What wasgoing on in your life in August 2005?

II was 17 yearsold andabout aweek into my senior yearofhighschool. Ihad been in school with my friends since seventh grade.Myclassringwas going to be deliveredonthe Monday thestorm hit, and Iwas so excited to getthat.There wereso many thingsIwas looking forwardto–senior pictures, prom,graduation. What do you remember themost about theimmediateaftermath of Katrina?

Irememberreally admiring General RussellHonore. Ifeltlikehebrought alot of leadershipand order. That felt likeapivotal moment. Irememberthe ﬁrst time we got lights back in NewOrleans East. We had been without power for so long that Ihad

forgotten howimportant it was.Whenwe sawlights back on, that’swhenweknew things werereally starting to come back. What made youwant to come back to NewOrleans?

Iwent to college in Florida, butIwas drawn to being back home everychance Ihad. Ifelt called to keeping up with my family and thecity’srecovery. Iwanted to give back to my city. Ididn’t want to be a partofthe brain drain. Iwanted to be a partofseeing New Orleans thrive again. Howdid Katrinainﬂuence your futurelifeand career decisions?

It made me realizeI wanted to have a job that makes apositive impact on the city. Working at theFoundation, Isee all thetouchpoints we have throughout New Orleans. Idrive down thestreet and I seeeverything from green infrastructure to daycares that we’ve helped to create. Katrina made me want to do thekind of work that is far-reaching and rewarding, and I’mgratefultobeable to do that today

What do youhopethe next 20 years lookslikefor NewOrleans?

Ihope to seeusdoa better job recognizing that we cannot runaway from Mother Nature.Mymom had Hurricane Betsy in herchildhood. Ihad Katrina. Ahurricane will happen here again. We need to think about preparing for that now from abig picturestandpoint. Maybethat means all houses have to be raised. Maybeitmeans naturalwater retention and moretrees throughout thecity. Water is apartofour DNA and we aresurrounded by it. We need to learn to live better with it and not let it become theend of ourcity.

SETHKNUDSEN

“There wasonlyone thing for me to do”Culinary institutions stand as symbols of survival

By Amanda McElfresh |amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

The rrestaurant industry was among thehardest hit sectors in theaftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Kitchens thathad survived the Great Depression, civil rights struggles and economic downturns suddenly satdark, filled with floodwater,silenceand doubt. Yet, withinweeks, iconic dining institutions, including DookyChase’sand Dickie Brennan &Co. werewriting their comebackstories that would define ageneration.

Steve Pettus, longtimemanagerpartner of Dickie Brennan &Co., still vividly remembers discussing potential repairs witha general contractor amidthe wreckageinthe week immediately after thestorm.There was no paperwork and no certaintyofmaterials or staff. Instead, themen relied on handshakes andverbal

“It was actually really refreshing.Hemade acommitmentrightthere and he didliveupto it,” Pettus said.

Across town in thehistoric Treme neighborhood, Dooky Chase’sRestaurant, thelegendarymeeting ground of civil rights leadersand thehome of Leah Chase’s celebrated Creolecooking, sat under more than ﬁve feet of water.Manyasked the then-82-year-old Chase if shewas going to give up or forge ahead. Heranswer was a simple one.

“People said, ‘Well, what areyou going to do at your age?.’ Therewas onlyone thing for me to do,” Chase toldCBS News in 2015 Living in aFEMA trailerand leaning on family,friends, young chefs and community supporters, Chase began raisingthe halfmillion dollarsneeded to rebuild.

“No matter whatyou do on this earth,

No what you earth you havetodoitand do it well,” Chase toldCBS. “It takeseverybody to do apart.”

w, rina lt like en we ” ort its promises.

employees hauled in five-gallon jugs of water to boil.Diners ate on paperplates with plastic utensils Employees werekeptonthe payroll. Slowly, Pettus saw things starting to come together “It wasn’t about me or Dickie. Everyone had thesame mindset that we could do it,”Pettussaid “A lotofthe time,you don’trealize you’re learningalesson while you’re learningit. When Ilook back on it no Ican see that therewas aconfidence that developedinour teams after Kat that made us feel unstoppable. We fe therewas nothing we couldn’t do wh stand together anddothe right thing At Dooky Chase’s, therebuilding eff took longer.The restaurantcelebrated reopening in 2007.Longtime customersfiled reclaim theirseats at familiar tables, e celebritiesand presidentstraveled to w Orleans to pay homage not just to the ,but to thewoman whohad become a bol of survival.

Theobstacleswere enormous, but so was the determination.Bourbon House,partofthe Dickie Brennan&Co. portfolio, managed to reopen on October 4, 2005.There was no potable water in thecity, so in to whil Ne food

sym “Y PBS how to d The serv and th st i St Aco

The Aud Si

oulearn what’s important,” Chasetold News in 2015.“Youlearn howtolive –to live withone another.You learn how o things when you havetodothem.” yearsthat havefollowedKatrina have edasa testament to thecommitment adaptabilitythat emergedfollowing estorm. Dickie Brennan&Co. has eadily grown itsportfolio, which today ncludesPalace Café, Dickie Brennan’s eakhouse, Bourbon House, Tableau, rnCafé Commissary, Pascal’sManale and ubon Clubhouse. nce therebuild, Dooky Chase’shas cemented itslegacy as both aNew

landmark. Although Chasepassedaway in 2019,her inﬂuence continues to radiate. Therestaurant received the2025James BeardAmerica’sClassics awardfor being acornerstone of Creole cuisine and Black American culture for eight decades.The prestigious awardrecognizes restaurants that aredeeply rooted in their communities and have stood thetestoftime.

“Tohave this awardmeans alot for my entirefamily becausewehave been in business 84 years, and it was aboutmy grandparents,parents,and now we’re the third, fourth generation,” Stella Chasesaid at theJames Beardawardreception in June 2025.“We had astrong foundation and we justfeel so blessed.”

In thewakeofKatrina, fest andcelebrations restored t New Orleans spirit.20yea later,theyanchorits identi

By Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com and Stevie Cavalier Licciardi, stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

Whenthe floodwatersofHurricane Katrina receded,New Orleans wasleftgutted –its hom ruined, its neighborhoods scattered, itspeople shaken.What remained, as fragile as it wa fierce, was culture. Against seemingly insurmountable odds,itwas theparades,the music, food and thefestivals –the veryheartbeat of thecity–that led theway back. Barry Kern remembers thecalls coming in one after another.His father,Blaine, then 78 yearsold and thetoweringfigure behind Kern Studios andMardi Gras World, would pick up thephone. On theothe end wasakrewe captain, wondering if Mardi Gras was still going to happeninNew Orleansin2006

“He would alwaysreassure them that all theother krewes wererunning so that no one got scared. He knew we neededto keep themomentum going,” Kern said. “As akid,mydad hadseen howpeople in the GreatDepression celebrated Mardi Gras even though it was an incredibly difﬁcult time. But, it brought people together,and people really needed that. Mydad felt that New Orleans needed Mardi Gras in a similar way after Katrina.”

Located in Algiers, Kern Studios itself had escaped theworst of Katrina’swrath. Employees returned to work quickly sculpting and paintingfloats while holding on to thebeliefthat thecity’smost essential annual ritual could survive. They were bolsteredbyhelpfromUniversal Studios, alongtime partner that paid Kern Studios in advancefor ayear’s workonparade floats in their parks.That helped operations going while NewOrleans krewes werestill reorganizing and securing finances

When the2006Carnival season ﬁnally arrived, it wasn’t thesameMardi Gras –it was acelebrationwith much deepermeaning.

“It really was oneofthe most special Mardi Gras yearsI’veever been involved with because it was mostly locals. Everybody came together and it wasvery emotional,” Kern recalled. “People hadlost their homes andsomany horrible things had happened. Forsome, it wastheir ﬁrst time cominghome.Itwas cathartic for the people of thecitytocome together.Itwas veryimportant for us to celebrate together and for theworld to know thatthe citywas open again.”

That same impulse –aninsistence that culturemust carrythe city–echoed across New Orleans’ festivals. Each facedits own reckoning in themonthsafter Katrina, and each chose, in its own way, to keep going.

At French QuarterFestival, ashowcase for 100percent local musicand food,the challenge wasn’t physicaldevastation so much as theweight of symbolism.

“It is such an importantcultural anchor and it played ahuge role in us coming back together as acommunityand returning to our cultural traditions and that sense of normalcy,” said Emily Madero,the festival’s president andCEO.“We mark thechanging of theseasons with our festival calendar.

It was an important moment to experience joy.There was relief in thestability of thetradition.”

Maderonotedthatgig workershad seen their livesupended not only bythe storm, but by thetemporarycollapseofthe local economyaround them.The French Quarter Fest gave themworkagainand was also asign that their careerscould still have afuture.

“There was alot of fear at the time about howwe would rebuild NewOrleans, particularly in thecreative industries and amongst our musicians and cultural ambassadors, so to do (French Quarter Fest) in away that maintained the authenticityof those cultural traditions and to do it in away that was really for New Orleanians, by NewOrleanians, was symbolically important,” Madero said. “Rather thanpivot and reshaping our mission, it was amoment in time wherewe doubled down on our purpose. ”

No festival loomedlarger, however, than theNew Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.For itsproducerand director Quint Davis, thedecision to move forwardfelt nearly impossible.The Fairgrounds had been destroyed.The crew wasdisplaced, with some sleeping in barns while trying to rebuild stages. Daviswasn’tsurethe 2006 edition of Jazz Fest could happenat all, until then-Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu bluntly told himthat not having the festival wasn’t an option.

Shell came forwardtounderwrite the festival, and world-famous artists likeDave Matthews and Jimmy Buffett soon followed with agreements to perform. When the gates opened on theﬁrstday,Davis’sfears melted away “Wegot acall from thepolice that we werehaving atrafﬁc problem. They said people werelined up and down Esplanade,” Davis said. “A lot of people whohad not been back to New Orleans since Katrina came back for Jazz Fest. When thegates opened and allthese people poured in, Jazz Fest came back to life. It became aliving entity.Itshowed what afestivalcan do. It bonds people together and gives them agreater sense of meaning. It renews their spirit.That’swhat happened that year.”

Theleaders of other traditions faced different choices. TheEssenceFestivalof Culture, rooted in NewOrleans sincethe 1990s, was forced to relocatetoHouston in 2006. But, by thefollowing summer,festival organizersinsisted on returning home “Wedon’t take our place as afestival in NewOrleans lightly.Partofwhat makes the Essence Festival of Cultureasspecial as it is,

is thepeople and thecityofNew Orleans,” said Barkue Tubman-Zawolo, thefestival’s chiefcommunityofﬁcer.“We areabout continuing to partner with thecityand to take partinthe joy of thecity. Our cultural afﬁrmation is,‘We loveus.’ NewOrleans is theposter child of ‘Welove us’ because NewOrleans came togetherand rebuilt NewOrleans.”

The2007EssenceFest welcomed an estimated 200,000 attendees and generated roughly $150 million forthe local economy. Aportion of concertticket proceeds supported theChildren’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools of New Orleans, funding reading, artand music enrichment for local youth.

In addition, the2007Essence Fest hosted standout performances from superstarslike Mary J. Blige,Kelly Rowland, Ludacris, Beyoncé and more, while cultural leaders likeTyler Perry, Hill Harper,SherylLee Ralph and LionelRichie participated in free daytime programming. And, just ﬁve months after announcinghis presidential campaign, then-Senator Barack Obama addressed the Essence audience, connecting directly with acommunitythatwould play apivotal role in his election.

“Our festival’scelebration is rooted in howweare serving our community, Tubman-Zawolo said. “Our community is already empowered. We just need to work in partnership with them and create opportunities, and that’swhat we do.

One of thethings that theworld knows is thatwhenwegathertocelebrate each other’s culture, whether it’s your own or celebrating someone else’s, it creates more unityand joy.”

Evennew festivals wereborn out of the shadowsofKatrina. TheNew Orleans Book Festival,founded in 2010 by Cheryl Landrieu alongside civil rights icon Ruby Bridges, began as asmall children’s event at alocal library. In many ways, it was a

responsetothe deep disruptioninthe city’s schools after thestorm.

“You could draw aline from theevents of Katrina to thecreation of theNew Orleans Book Festival,” Landrieu said. “Wewanted to help reestablish theeducational system. Therewas akind of renaissance happening during therebuilding of theschools and the school system and thewaysinwhich we learn, and we played asmall role in that. It was based on theprinciples of wanting to support NewOrleans children and their families.”

Fifteen yearslater,the NewOrleans Book Festival has grown into athree-day event, drawing national authorsand attendees from around theworld. Landrieu attributes that long-term success to thefestival’s combination of funtimes and thepursuit of knowledge.

“New Orleans festivals aresuch adraw, and both theauthorsand theattendees want to be here,” shesaid. “Theyfeel something powerfuland special in New Orleans,and they want to be apartofit.”

Today,the city’scultural calendar is bigger than ever.Mardi Gras has exploded in scale, with longtime krewes likeEndymion and Tucksswelling in membership while moreparades have joined theannual rotation. French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest draw international visitorswith top-tier talent. Essence Fest is asummer tradition, while this year’s Book Festival saw record participation that prompted theneed for expanded space on theTulane campus.

Sprinkled throughout theyear aredozens of other festivals,large and small, that honor history, heritage and thehuman spirit.

“Wecan sometimes takefor granted what we have and what we do,” Kern said.

“New Orleans is different than any other place in theworld, and thepersonalityof thecityisrooted in these things that we do It’s theway that we say hello to each other.”

Beyonce performs at the2007Essence Festival, theﬁrst one in New Orleans afterHurricane Katrina.

Photo courtesyofGetty Images

LionelRichie performs at the 2007 Essence Festival, the ﬁrst one in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Photo courtesyof Getty Images.

Then-Senator Barack Obama speaks to thecrowd at the2007Essence Festival. He would go on to be elected U.S. President in 2008 and 2012 PhotocourtesyofGetty Images.

When wordsfailed, music and art gave New Orleanians an escapeand avision forabetterfuture

By Stevie

CavalierLicciardi, stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com and Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Aroundthe world, New Orleans is known as acitythat reveres the arts. Music pulses through the streets, andartworkisfound on walls in nearly everyneighborhood. In thewake of Hurricane Katrina, that creative fabric became asource of comfortfor many And, in thetwo decades since, healing conversations and connections havebeen ushered in through thecommunity’sefforts to uphold, expand and empowerNew Orleans’ artistic voices.

“I just wantedtocome back home,” said Robin Barnes, aNew Orleans jazz vocalist. “The loss of home was such amagnitudeof pain that every day,just to cope, Iwould listen to ‘What aWonderful World’ because it felt likethe closestthing tohome.”

Barnes comesfroma family of musicians whohave called Louisiana home for eight generations. Nowon herway toreleasing herﬁrstfull-length album, hermusical journey began at six yearsold, learning the Louis Armstrong classic, “What aWonderful World.” ForBarnes, thesong encapsulates herchildhood home in theLower Ninth Ward,surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells of herMémèrecooking gumbo, herfamily makingmusic together and her communityﬁlled withjoy

In thedaysand weeks after Katrinaleveled theLower Ninth, Barnesclung to that familiar tune as away to keep herspirits up. When shewas ﬁnally able to sing at her church after thestorm,there wasnodoubt that shewould perform

theArmstrong classic that had carried her through so much. “I held thenote at theend for so long that Ifell to my knees,” Barnes said.

“Everyone was crying and holding each other.Weall justneeded arelease from the pain and to feel hope.Itwas theﬁrsttime Iever realized howpowerful music is and howitcan change so much in an instant.It was asong that brought people to hug each other and hold onto one another.”

Michel Varisco, now theChair of Visual Arts at New Orleans Center for theCreative Arts (NOCCA), found herown sense of solace and artisticcomfortduring her retreats into CityPark as theKatrina cleanup was underway.She would wander with herdog and hercamera throughfallen oaks and foggy overgrown ﬁelds, reﬂecting on theparadox of damage and growth that wasevident throughout thecity. Her collection of images, Fragile Land, emerged from herCityPark meanderings.

“I proposed apublic arts piece to thecity using theFragile Lands imagery.I landed thecommission, and Iput in it thecircular rotunda at Popp’sFountain in City Park,” Varisco said. “Just likethe parkhelpedme heal, Iwanted to share thatprocess and to compel people to walk throughthe parkand to give themselves space

“I think theconversations that came about in thecommunitywerefascinating,” Varisco continued. “Ithelpedusto grieve and to trust in nature’sprocess regeneration, rest,restoration.

Theprocess of telling one’sown storyis often healing, and many residents found strength in sharing theirexperiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.Throughout ions werekindledasthe continued.

at thetime.Wewound up getting global publicityand press. Part of thehealing for those of us wholived in NewOrleans and had lived throughthis, was to be able to tell our story.”

thecity, conversat recoveryprocess TheNew Orlean (NOVAC), anonin 1972 and provi ﬁlmmakers, was f leading up to Hur building had been storm and archiva to thefourth story at theUniversity o Uponreturning f Ryan,formerNO recounts howNO down permanentl from community led to theprodu NOVAC-prod featured som devastated interviews

navigating

“That fun produce t anu

s VideoAccess Center proﬁt that was established des resourcestolocal acing business difﬁculties ricane Katrina. NOVAC’s sold right beforethe l footage had been moved ofthe EarlK.Long Library f New Orleans.

rom thestorm,Tim VAC ExecutiveDirector, VAC nearly had to shut y.However,funding partnersand foundations ction of TheDrive, a uced documentarythat e of New Orleans’most neighborhoods and withresidents whowere thewreckage ding gaveusthe time to he ﬁlm, as well as to write mber of grants,”said Ryan. “The documentaryended up getting over amillion viewsonYouTube which was verynew

Non-proﬁt, arts-focused organizations across various disciplinesplayed apivotal role in advancing thecity’shealingand underscoring theresilience of theNew Orlean’s culture. Youth music programs throughout thecitytook up thetorch of passing down generations of musical knowledge to displacedstudents. Many schools in NewOrleans experienced extensive damage or even permanent closureafter Hurricane Katrina, creating a void in arts education.

“People stepped up to do thework do work thatthe schools wereabletodobefore thestorm,”said Derek Douget, Director of MusicEducation at theHeritage School of Music. “It’snot justus; it’s thewhole music community, at large,that is doing it. Iwould justliketocelebrate all our colleagues who aredoing this work; it is getting done.”

In theyears after Katrina,local musician and Grammy winnerDerrick Tabb saw that theneed for arts education was urgent. In his Tremeneighborhood, Tabb saw that kids whoused to walk to thebus stop were hustling on thestreets after thestorm.

“I knew these kids didn’t really have anything else to do,” Tabb told New Orleans &Co. in 2020.“But Ialso knew if you weretogive them atalent, they can use thatsame talent to makemoney.”

In 2007,hefounded TheRoots of Music, starting with amodest six-week drum camp at Tipitina’s. What began with19kids and $20,000 quickly swelled. Forty-twochildren showed up on theﬁrstday,and morethan 100wereeagertojoin withinweeks.

Today,The Roots of Music runs three core programs: Sprouts of Music forkids ages 3 to 8; theMarching CrusadersBand for ages 9to14, and theRoots Studio Academy for high school students. Beyondinstruction,the organization provides meals, transportation, instruments and academic support,removing barriersthat often keep low-income children from participating in thearts.

“Discipline is themostimportant thing we teach our kids,” Tabb told NewOrleans & Co. “After about amonth, thesekids are picking up things that takemostpeople yearstolearn. And, it all rounds back to having afoundationofdiscipline… Theprogram we’ve put together has really worked.”

When Hurricane Katrina leftits mark on thecity, theOgden Museum of Southern Art had only been open at its current location for alittle over ayear.William Andrews, the museum’sexecutive director,recounts how evident it was that individuals wereseeking theconsolation and inspiration that only art can provide. By theefforts of individuals and organizations alike, thecityofNew Orleans has continued onwardinits creative resilience.

“Hurricane Katrina produced acatalytic moment when people started to recognize theway NewOrleans has been able to embrace thevarietyofinﬂuences that have been woven into theculturehere,” Andrews said. “Asamuseum, we don’tmakegrand statements. We trytobethe place where theartist can respond to theworld in which they live.”

NewOrleans’ cultural foundation has been tested in unimaginable waysthese past 20 years, but thesongs of this captivating city continues to resoundthroughout theworld.

Adaptation, innovation, collaboration: Katrina’s lasting impact on nonproﬁts in NewOrleans

By Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

WhenHurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005, its destruction didmore than level neighborhoods and scatter families– it also reshaped thenonproﬁt landscape in New Orleans. Organizations thathad been operating foryears suddenly adapted and reimagined their missions to respond to immediate communityneeds, while newefforts wereborn from thestorm’saftermath.

Twodecades later,the city’s nonproﬁt communitystandsas oneofKatrina’smostenduring legacies, marked by growth, innovationand collaboration.

Shifting Missions: Youth Empowerment Project (YEP)

YEP opened in 2004 withaﬁve-person staff, twogrants and adesire to help New Orleans youth realizetheir own potential. When scattered employees started returning to thecityafter Katrina, they weresurprised to discover that theYEP ofﬁces hadbeen sparedfromdamage. Melissa Sawyer,YEP founder and CEO,saidthatfelt likea sign that theorganization’s work wasneeded morethan ever

“Itfelt likewehad aresponsibilitytokeep going and be apartofthe recoverybecause therewas so muchdamage elsewhere throughout thecity,”Sawyersaid. Itgave us asense of purpose.”

YEP initially worked to reunite children and families displaced by thestorm andhelp othersaccess resources, even in cities like Houston andBaton Rouge. But,inNew Orleans, Sawyer saiditquickly became apparent that many kids werefacing an education crisis. Severalwho wanted to re-enroll in schoolfaced barrierssuchas lost records, aprolonged absencefrom classes or ahistoryof academicstruggles or involvement with thejusticesystem.

That need inspired YEPtostart its ﬁrst GED program, thanks to grant funding and three part-time employees whoagreed to teachin theevenings.

“Within theﬁrstfew weeks,wehad about 40 young people cometous, wanting to get their GED and connect withsomething meaningful.Thatwas our ﬁrst expansion into education work,” Sawyer said.

Today,YEP is Louisiana’s largest stateapproved high schoolequivalencyprovider with 142HISET graduates this year

Other YEP programs have grown over the past 20 yearsaswell, including afterschool programs, summer camps, and abikeshop and thriftstore wherekidslearn customer service and critical thinking skills.Last year YEP served morethan1,000 youth, and now has astaffof50.

“I thinkbeing apre-Katrina organization allowed us to hit theground running and adapt quickly,while alwaysstayingmissionfocused on supporting young people and

families,” Sawyer said.“Our valueshave alwaysbeen rooted in doing thebest you can, being honest, having integrityand following through on your word. We aim to be kind, resourceful, accountable and committed to progress. We’redoing the work for theright reasons.”

ANew Vision: Son of aSaint ForBivian “Sonny”Lee III, Hurricane Katrina sparked aﬁre in himtogiveback to his hometown of NewOrleans. He was calledtomentorship, but hisearly efforts in 2006 didn’t pan out theway he had hoped. In his 20s, Lee spent yearstraveling theworld as he worked in sports andmusic. But, he knew he wanted to be back in New Orleans. In 2011,hefounded Son of aSaint anonproﬁt that mentorsboyswho have lost their fatherstodeath or incarceration.

“I started forming theideafor Son of aSaint in 2010,five yearsafter Katrina. Therewas an overwhelming urge to share whatIhad learnedand experienced,”Lee said. “I think thatwas atime when people weretryingtofigureout thecity’sidentity Kidsand familieshad been displaced, and manyofthemhad spent monthsseparated from one another. Theschool system was changing. Peoplewerestressed about jobs andsafety.Itfeltlikeeverybody was trying to find theirplace in thenew NewOrleans.”

Son of aSainthelpedmanyboysinthat search for identity,giving them outlets to sharetheir frustrations,guidance from mentorswho had survived theirown life challenges and opportunitiestosee what apositive futurecouldlooklike. Lee said that wouldn’t havebeen possiblewithout partnerships thatcontinue to this day

“Westarted Son of aSaint with 100bucks What is beautiful about New Orleans is that peoplewere illi ti t us, whether it pizzas for the letting us use an event,”Le sense of com born out of K wasalmost a people to wr

willing togive to was donating boysor aspace for esaid. “That munitywas atrina. There need for ap theirarms

around each other.You still see that today Yousee peoplewanttohelppeople.”

While Son of aSaint is aresounding success, reachinghundreds of boyseach year with mentoring, mental health services and enrichment opportunities, Leestill sees opportunities for growth, especially since 40 percent of itsboysare from New Orleans East, an area whose Katrina recoveryhas laggedbehind other parts of thecity.

“Partofour strategic plan is to develop something in NewOrleansEastnot only to supportour boys, but to supportthe general communitythere,” Leesaid. “My uncle lives thereand Idrive throughoften. Theareahas somehow not developed post-Katrina as we all would havehoped. Ideﬁnitely want to be partofturning thataround.

Creative Healing: YAYA Arts Center

Founded in 1988, YAYA Arts Center was well-established in 2005 as an organization thatwas empoweringNew Orleans youth through creativity, education and entrepreneurship. Yet, in many ways, Katrina servedasa catalyst for YAYA to have an even broader reach throughout thecity.

Shortlyafter thestorm, twoYAYAalumni began teaching artclasses in different schools– something that still takes place today.That ledtothe creation of YAYA’s Urban Heroes program, whichnow sees morethan 800 kids each year

“It truly gives kids theopportunityto explorearts. That is deﬁnitely one of the morepowerful programs that came about because of Katrina andcontinues to have a huge impact,” said Jourdan Barnes, YAYA BoardPresident. “That program alsoset the course for alot of other YAYA programming. It has become apipeline to theother work thatwedo. Thecool thing aboutYAYAis thateventhough we teach entrepreneurial, artisticand technical skills, it’s still asafe space for kids to be whotheyare.”

YAYA works with New Orleans youth and young adultsfromage 13 to 25,focusing on fosteringtheir creativity with ceramics glassand mixedmedia. Participants sell theircreations andreceive 60 percent of theproﬁts, with theremaining 40 percent helpingtofund YAYA programs,all of which arecompletelyfree.

Barnes said YAYA staff continue to lean on lessons learned during Katrina’s aftermath to address morerecent challenges.For example,whenCovid forcedYAYAtohalt in-person programming, they immediately pulledtogether artkits, take-home supplies and videos of artlessons. And, as they have seen youth continue to grapple with modernday struggles, YAYA staffhave leaned more deeply into apartnershipwith arttherapists ht th tt help kids able to cultivate and be very eople we our boardand tionalityhas AYAPrograms ews.“Ourcore

values include artistic integrity, generational impact, equityand accessibility. We want to continuetobeinnovative and adaptable because things areconstantly changing. We want to do that while keeping our values at thecenter of our work. Being mission-aligned is so important.”

Restoringnature, restoringhope: Sankofabrings lifebacktothe LowerNinth Ward

Note: This article wasadapted from a story thatappeared in Audubon Magazine in 2024 andwas originally authoredby Paige Curtis.

Growing up in theLower Ninth Ward Rashida Ferdinand and other neighborhood children spent their daysexploring theterrain of Sankofa Wetland Park. But, theland eventually fell into disrepair duetoyearsof neglect that worsened in Katrina’saftermath. Ferdinand founded theSankofa Community Development Corporation (CDC) in 2008. Today,the organization is collaborating with local residents to restorethe area to its previousnaturalglory. Their work is paying off, with ambling paths and thriving cypress trees winding around acentral pond.

“Seeing butterﬂies,birds and other pollinatorsinthe park is asign of ahealthy ecosystem. Allwehad to do was create the right conditions,” Ferdinand told Audubon Magazine.

In 2017,Sankofa CDC entered into a partnershipwith theCityofNew Orleans to develop the40-acrevacant plot along theLower Ninth’s northern edge with a vision to restorethe wetland ecosystem as a buffer againstﬂooding while alsospurring economic development.

Theinputofthe Lower Ninth Ward communityand neighborshas been vital to this work. Their feedback informed the park’smaster plan and amenities,including a walking/biking trail that residents requested.

Local volunteersuprooted morethan 1,000 invasive tallow trees and planted new, native ﬂorasuch as bald cypressand water tupelo trees that areknown to withstand heavy winds,aswell as 1,000 herbaceous plants.Meanwhile, ponds throughoutthe park aredesigned to retain rainwater during storms and provide acool habitat in ahot landscape. Theseinitial improvements have attracted wildlife not seen in theareasince the 1960s. Thepark is now home to reptiles, amphibians,beaversand otters, and more than 100birdspecies have been spotted on thegrounds

whocome to thecenter to h navigatetheir feelings.

“I think we have been partnerships really well intentionalabout thep haveonour staff, on as partners. That inten sustainedus,”said YAY Manager AveriMatth

Amenities have alsobeen added, including picnic areas,interpretive signage, outdoor recreation facilities, aﬁshing dock and a wheelchair-accessible trail that connects the Lower Ninth to adjoining neighborhoods. An outdoor amphitheater and moretrails are scheduled to be completed later this year

“There is auniquebeauty in restoring what was already there,” Ferdinand said. “It’s howwehonor thestewards beforeuswho respected this land and sawits valuefrom theverybeginning.”